#(so sorry for late reply school gets more busy towards end of year ;-;)

[tortillamastersblog]

⊱Drawing Stars Around Your Scars | Oliver Queen⊰

Pairing: Oliver Queen x reader

Warnings: injuries and mentions of blood

Summary: Oliver would do anything to regain your trust. . .

________________________________________________

“Good Night, Doctor Y/L/N.” Ella, one of the nurses at the nurses’ station waves me goodbye and I return the gesture with a tired smile.

I just got out of an eight hour surgery and I can’t wait to get home. I make my way through the busy halls of the hospital and down to the parking garage without changing out of my scrubs.

It’s freezing outside and when my fingers curl around the cold leather of my steering wheel I shiver.

I pull out of the underground parking garage and make my way home.

The streets of Starling City are busy, even at this time of day, which is why it doesn’t take long for me to be stuck in traffic.

I sigh and turn on the radio, humming along to the Christmas songs that are playing before my phone rings.

I glance at it and smile, answering the call on my car’s hands-free. “Speedy, what are you doing up this late? It’s a school night.” I tease, but my smile quickly vanishes and turns into a concerned frown when I hear the girl crying softly on the other end of the line.

“I’m sorry, Y/N. Are you still at work?” she say quietly.

“No, I’m not. Are you okay? What’s going on?” I ask, drumming my fingers on the steering wheel, worried.

When Oliver vanished at sea five years ago, Thea and I grew extremely close. While she grieved over her brother, I grieved over my best friend and partner in crime.

We grew so close in fact that she’s like a baby sister to me now and whenever she’s in trouble, or feeling down, I’m usually the one she calls since Moira and Walter are both emotionally unavailable.

Thea doesn’t answer right away, so I promt her softly. “Speedy? You still there?”

“I—Yeah, I’m still here. It’s just. . . Ollie. He not home, again! And he’s acting like a complete stranger. I don’t even recognize him anymore it’s just—“ she breaks down in tears and I make a u-turn the next chance I get, heading toward the Queen’s manor outside the city.

This isn’t the first time she’s broken down over Oliver’s return and how different he is compared to five years ago.

“C-Can you come over?” she hiccups and I tell her that I’m already on my way.

The traffic thins out once I’m out of the city, staying on the phone with Thea the entire time until I pull up outside of her family’s manor.

The security guard at the gate greets me with a polite smile and let’s me in without hesitation.

I get out of the car, the gravel beneath my feet crunching as I walk up to the front door, which swings open before I get the change to ring the doorbell.

Thea basically jumps on me, pulling me into a hug, and cries into my shoulder.

I hold her tight and waddle us inside, away from the cold and let the door close behind us with a gentle click.

“Thank you for coming,” Thea whispers, her grip around my shoulders not letting up.

“Of course. Anything for you, Speedy,” I reply just as quietly, rubbing my hands over her back.

We stay like that for a few minutes, enjoying each other’s company before she pulls back, her eyes roaming over my outfit.

“You just got off work, didn’t you?” she asks, guilt scrunching up her face. “You must be so tired. I’m sorry for making you come here.”

I wave her off and squeeze her shoulders. “Hey, no. Don’t be sorry. I am tired, yes, but you’re more important than sleep,” I joke softly which earns me a small smile.

Thea sighs and uses the sleeve of her sweatshirt to wipe away the remainder of her tears. Then, she eyes me hopefully before asking, “Have you had dinner yet?”

I shake my head and she pulls out her phone, waving it around for emphasis.

“Do you want to order some takeout then and watch a movie with me?”

Tomorrow is my day off, so I don’t mind staying with her, especially because she’s home alone and it seems like she could use some company right now.

“Sure,” I agree easily, “but I need a shower and some comfy clothes.”

Thea nods adamantly and pulls me upstairs and into her room.

“Use whatever you like in there. You know the drill,” she says gesturing at her en-suite bathroom. “I’ll go and find some clothes for you.”

I thank her and smile, going into the bathroom and stripping out of my scrubs before stepping into the enormous shower.

A knock on the door lets me know that Thea’s found me some clothes and she cracks it open just enough to reach inside, placing some clothes on the floor before closing the door again.

I finish quickly, shutting off the water before drying off and putting on the fresh clothes.

I frown when I pull on the pair of gray sweatpants, figuring that they can’t be Thea’s because she’s a head shorter than me and the sweatpants are oversized, even on me.

The same goes for the sweatshirt and when I pull it on and a familiar cologne surrounds wafts around me, I know why.

These are Oliver’s clothes.

I shiver involuntarily and can’t help but bury my nose in the fabric of the sweater, taking a deep breath.

I’ve missed this smell, I’ve missed Oliver, but I haven’t really admitted that to anyone since he came back.

We’ve always been best friends, but since we were teenagers I knew that my feelings for him weren’t solely platonic.

I never acted on them though because I knew we could never work. While he was a millionaire playboy, I was a nerd, passing all my classes in school with flying colors and getting into med school before even turning twenty.

I also hated how he hooked up with anyone he had a chance with, and I swore to myself a long time ago that I’d never let myself be just another one of his conquests.

Now though, things have changed. Oliver has changed and I have, too. We’re both grown up and it seems like he’s left behind his playboy lifestyle.

Every time I see him nowadays, he’s calm, well spoken, and a true gentleman. He no longer drinks or takes drugs, and I’ve caught him shamelessly staring at me quite a few times now.

It’s something he didn’t used to do, and it gets my hopes up that, maybe, he secretly feels the same way about me as I do about him, but then he goes and blows me off time and time again, without answering any of my texts or calls.

It’s gotten to the point where I don’t even agree to hanging out with him any more because I know he’ll leave me hanging anyway, but still, every time he asks me to dinner, or offers to buy some coffee my heart flutters and I feel my cheeks grow warm.

“So, what do you want to watch?” Thea asks when I exit the bedroom, throwing myself on the bed next to her.

“I don’t care,” I say honestly, checking my phone before leaning back against the headboard.

“Okayyy.” Thea hums in though. She scrolls through some movies on her TV before settling on Elf.

The opening credits start rolling and I get even more comfortable, patting Thea’s head playfully when she rests it on my shoulder.

Fifteen minutes into the movie, our food gets delivered and we eat on the bed in silence, continuing to watch the movie.

Thea eventually falls asleep and I sigh, turning off the TV.

I get off the bed and drape the comforter over her, chuckling softly when she frowns in her sleep.

“Nighty night, Speedy,” I whisper before leaving her room.

I make my way down the dark hallway toward the grand staircase, ready to go home, but the sound of breaking ceramic makes me stop in my tracks.

I squint in the darkness, straining to hear where it came from before deciding to investigate.

The sound most likely came from Oliver’s room and because he’s not supposed to be home, I’m curious to see what caused the slight commotion.

Maybe the Queens got a cat I don’t know about?

I highly doubt that, but then again, Thea’s done some crazy things over the last couple of years, lashing out every chance she got to mask her grief.

I slowly open the door to Oliver’s room and peek inside, freezing when I see a hunched over figure by one of the bedside tables.

They’re picking up what looks like shards of a vase, stacking them neatly before getting back to their feet.

A quiet grunt escapes them and once they’re upright with their back turned toward me, I recognize them, or should I say him?

It’s Oliver in his vigilante suit and when I take a closer look I notice he’s clutching at his side with one of his hands.

He’s hurt.

I turn on the light with an annoyed sigh and put my hand on my hip, watching him spin around with a dagger in his hand.

“What are you doing here?” he asks in his fake deep and gravelly voice and I just raise a challenging eyebrow in return.

“Drop the act, Ollie,” I say calmly, watching with mild amusement as his eyes widened.

“I— What are you—?” he stammers before his shoulders curl forward and he whispers, “How did you know?”

He takes off his hood and even though I know it’s him underneath, I still feel a chill run down my spine when his exhausted eyes meet mine.

I’ve known he’s the Green Arrow ever since he returned to Starling City. I mean, how could I not know?

All the sneaking around? His sudden interest in his family’s business? The constant bruises and cuts on his face?

And let’s not forget how he physically changed over the last five years. Where he used to be a thin, athletic kid he’s now a broad-shouldered hunk of a man and I’d be lying if I said it makes him less attractive.

“C’mon, Ollie,” I scoff, crossing the room to look at the injury on his side. “You do know who you’re talking to right now, don’t you?”

Oliver hangs his head and stays silent, allowing me to pull up his bloody clothes to get a better look at his side.

The wound isn’t too deep, but it will need stitches and judging by its frayed edges I’m guessing it’s a graze from a bullet.

“Do you have any medical supplies?” I ask. I have a small emergency kit in my car, but I’m too lazy to get it right now.

Luckily, Oliver nods and points at the bedside table where he was just crouching, picking up the shards of the shattered vase.

“Take off your shirt and lay on the bed,” I command without looking at him. In times like this, my doctor-ly instincts kick in and I don’t care who my patient is. All I’m focusing on is getting the wound cleaned and stitched up.

Oliver does as I say and once I’ve gotten everything I need from the bedside table, I turn to him, sucking in a breath when my eyes land on his exposed upper body.

It’s covered in scars and a tattoo I didn’t know he had and I can only imagine what he went through to look like this.

Thea did say that over twenty percent of his body was covered in scar tissue, but actually seeing it up close makes my stomach twist.

Watching me with a knowing look, Oliver gently wraps his fingers around one of my wrists which brings me back to reality.

He smiles reassuringly, silently telling me not to worry about what’s happened and I return the smile albeit a little weakly.

I take a deep breath and square my shoulders, getting to work on cleaning the wound and the area around it.

It continues to leak blood, no matter how many times I wipe at it and after a while I just give up, getting right to stitching it up.

“This might hurt,” I whisper as I press the needle against Oliver’s skin, but he not so much as twitches when the thin metal pierces his skin.

I work in silence, focusing on the work at hand before Oliver’s head rolls to the side to look at me directly as he says, “I’m sorry, Y/N.”

I hum, not taking my eyes off my hands and brush off his words, thinking he’s referring to right now, making me stitch him up and care for him, but then he continues.

“I’m sorry for blowing you off so many times over the last couple of weeks,” he says quietly. “And I’m sorry for cutting you out of my life right before getting on the Gambit with my dad.”

I clench my jaw and finish the last stitch. I stare at my hands and take a deep breath.

I tried to forget about that.

The days before getting onto that cursed yacht with his father, I called Oliver out on his hypocritical behavior and his playboy attitude which lead to him basically ending our friendship.

I cried for days, missing several important college classes, but then the news of the Queen’s Gambit sinking sobered me up and I forgot all about our falling out.

I cried some more then, this time for a different reason, but as time went on I grew numb to it and put all my energy into med school.

“It’s fine. . .” I whisper, moving to get back to work, but Oliver grabs my hand, making me look at him.

“No,” he says with furrowed eyebrows. “I was such an asshole and you were right. You’re always right and I’m really sorry it took me this long to apologize .”

I chuckle weakly, not liking the sudden tension between us and avert my eyes. “I’m not always right,” I argue,

Oliver squeezes my hand, getting me to look at him again. “Well, maybe not. . .” he says with a small smile. “But you were right about what you said and— again— I’m sorry it’s taken me this long to admit it. I felt backed into a corner when you called me out on my shit and I didn’t know what else to do other than lashing out at you.”

“Ollie—“ I try to stop him, but he cuts me off by squeezing my hand again and continuing.

“Y/N. I’ve been through. . . a lot. . . over the last five years, but I’ve also had a lot of time to think and—“he bites the inside of his cheek and scratches at his eyebrow nervously— “and you’re honestly the only constant in my life. The thought of you and sometime’s even Thea kept me going when I felt like giving up and I swore to myself that if I ever got the chance to, I’d make things right between us. . . I’d do what I should have done a long time ago.”

I gulp and try not to pull my hand from his. “What are you talking about, Ollie?”

He can’t be saying what I think he’s saying, can he?

Oliver sits up, grimacing slightly when the stitches on his waist strain against the movement, and swings his legs over the edge of the bed so he’s sitting next to me.

The heat radiating off his body makes me shiver involuntarily and when he places my hand against the scar on his chest I gasp softly.

“I don’t want to spend another day worrying about what ifs and maybes, so I’m asking you now, Y/N, would you do me the honor of going to dinner with me? As in like, a date, you know?” He stumbles a bit over the end of his sentence but his question takes my breath away nonetheless.

My brows furrow and I feel my heart clench at the conflicting feelings running through me at the moment.

“I don’t— I don’t know,” I admit.

Even though this is all I’ve been hoping for since we were kids, I can’t help but have doubts about his intentions.

What if he hasn’t changed as much as I think he has? What if he’s still a narcissistic playboy?

I don’t know if I could stand being used by him, so I shake my head and move to back away.

Seeing the doubt on my face, Oliver’s eyes soften and his hold on my hand tightens ever so slightly.

“Please, Y/N this is not— I’m not. . .” He trails off, biting his lip in thought.

Then instead of trying to explain himself, he takes a deep breath and closes his eyes briefly.

“This scar,” he says quietly, pressing my hand against the uneven patch of skin on his chest for emphasis, “is from a guy named Kovar. He. . . tried to stop me from leaving Lian Yu and pressed the hot tip of his gun against my skin, right here.”

My eyes widen, not only because no one knew he wasn’t alone on that island, but also because he’s actually telling me what happened.

Since he came back, he’s barely spoken of his time on Lian Yu and the fact that he’s willing to open up about what happened makes me trust his intentions.

He moves my hand down his chest, against a long, gnarly looking scar that follows the downward slope of his ribcage right over his stomach.

“This one is from when I first stranded on the island. There was this guy, William, or Billy, Winter—“

“No, Ollie, stop.” I cut him off, shaking my head. “You don’t have to tell me any of this just to prove yourself to me.”

It’s clear he’s struggling to put into words what happened if his overly tense muscles are anything to go by and I don’t want him to feel like he’s forced to share his trauma in order to get me to trust him again.

“But I want you to know,” he argues weakly, letting go of my hand.

I shake my head and move closer, tracing my fingers along the edge of the scar.

It makes Olive twitch slightly and I smile at the effect I have on him.

“And you can,” I assure him, skimming my fingers over his warm skin before brushing over the scar on his hip that looks suspiciously like a shark bite.

What the hell happened to him on that island. . .

“Just not now. Not all at once and not when you’re so obviously not ready to talk about it yet,” I continue, mesmerized by the way his muscles twitch beneath my touch.

I continue exploring his skin, raising an eyebrow at the tattoo on his chest before skipping over it and touching the scar on his shoulder.

They all look like they never healed properly and I get a chill, thinking about the possible infections that could have killed him, but then my train of thought is suddenly silenced when Oliver brushes his lips against my own.

Not realizing how close I’ve gotten while inspecting every little detail about him, I pull back with a surprised squeak and place a hand on his chest to stop him from closing the distance between us again.

“Shit,” he whispers, bringing a hand to his lips. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have—“

“It’s okay,” I say with a soft chuckle. I take his hand away from his mouth and lace our fingers together. “Just. . . Take me to dinner first.”

Oliver’s cheeks turn red, a rare sight, and I squeeze his hand before straining to press a kiss to his forehead.

“Right. Sorry.” He meets my eyes shyly and I smile at him when he tries to suppress a yawn.

It makes me yawn as well and Oliver gets to his feet. He kisses my knuckles and lets go of my hand.

“I need a shower,” he explains before nervously scratching at his eyebrow again. “Will you still be here when I get out?”

I melt at how vulnerable he sounds and nod, slipping under the covers of his bed. “Only if you don’t take too long.”

Oliver’s eyes widen comically and he springs into action, gathering some clothes before rushing into the bathroom.

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God, the chokehold this man’s got me in. . .

[reveluving]

mother knows best ; phillip graves x reader x jeff sadecki

summary: mama knows love when she sees one. or three. 

warnings: mostly Phil & Jeff’s mom’s POV, mentions of angst (teen!Jeff cheating but not on you, family fights, parents passing away), very tiny allusions to s~mut (minors DNI!), loads of fluff towards the end, Mama Denise is yours and her boys’ number one fan 🩷

a/n: thought I’d use this chance to write this after this ask! this is based on this lil' post! I know Jeff’s mom is named Linda but this is about him and Phil, a.k.a. my mind, so say hello to Mama Denise! pls don’t forget to leave some sugar! ᐠ( ᐛ )ᐟ

» interested in more of the series? find it here & here!

Denise Baker has always been a sweet lady. The epitome of a Southern’s hospitality. Married twice, first to a man named Danny Sadecki, then the second being Tom Graves after Danny passed away. They were good people. The best, feeling grateful each day for giving her the best gifts a hopeful mother could ever ask for. 

Two amazing boys. 

Keeping their last names rather than changing them to her maiden name was instinctive. At a one-year-plus age gap, Phil took after his mother’s Southern twang whereas Jeff followed his stepfather’s general American accent. They grew to be one happy family, and the brothers, despite their differences in interests and personality, would fight tooth and nail for one another.

But since Tom’s passing, the boys have been less lively, and understandably so. No matter how well they hid their sadness behind innocent smiles each time their mother was in the room, she could see right through them. She didn’t know what she did to earn such sweet boys, always attentive to their Mama at a young age, but she had always hoped to see the fire in them return someday.

That was until they met you. 

You and Phil were the same age, just beginning middle school with his brother somewhere a little further from the Bakers’ than the town’s high school.

The brothers had been waiting for their mother to pick them up when you slid next to Phil in the waiting chair. It was raining cats and dogs in Wiskayok, so you had to squeeze yourself into the bus stop to avoid getting drenched.

“Sorry,” You squeaked with a guilty smile when your shoulders touched.

Phil was beyond the age of believing in cooties, plus, he and Jeff were a mama’s boy, and she didn’t raise a woman (girl?)-hater. 

“S’okay.” His smile was half-hearted, a little miffed that he couldn’t get to the stand in time when it began raining, and at this point, Jeff had noticed your sudden presence. They’ve seen you before, especially Phil. You always sat in front of him in class, mostly seen with full of life and blinding smile with a missing tooth. 

“Your mom’s coming late, too?” Phil knew he didn’t have to make the conversation any longer than he’d like, but he had no reason to do that with you. You were so… nice, and yet, so respectful. Always giving him a wave instead of barging into his personal space bubble like a lot of his classmates did.

Plus, his mother was already thirty minutes late, what was there to lose?

“Yeah. My brother and I have been waitin’ for a lil’ while,” He replied with a shrug, pausing for a second before asking, “You?”

“Yeah, same,” You responded, though more lighthearted than he was, kicking your feet as you looked at the road, “It’s okay, though. Mom’s always busy. They’re probably tired. So long I’m not alone here, I’m not scared to wait for my mom.”

There you go, with your smile again. Phil couldn’t help but smile back, it was tiny but you could see the slight quirk of his lips. Jeff, too, found your positivity infectious and had been listening.

He had joined in on the conversation moments after. It was fairly light, with Jeff doing most of the talking, but that didn’t mean Phil wasn’t listening and chiming in once in a while. It wasn’t until fifteen minutes later when Denise came, rushing over to her boys with an umbrella and endless apologies. 

You were ready to say goodbye to the two and resume waiting on your own when Denise approached you with a motherly look. 

“Hi, darlin,” She crouched in front of you, with Jeff and Phil at a perfect height as they stood under her umbrella, “I’m Denise, Jeffrey and Phillip’s mama. What’s your name?”

You were a lot shyer with her, considering she was an adult, but you trusted her enough with your name since you kinda knew his youngest. 

“That’s a beautiful name,” Even with the heavy rain, her soft-spoken voice was hard to miss, “D’you know when y’mama will come pick you up?”

You shook your head, telling her that with your mother working at a busy cafe, it could vary. And like you told the boys, you were alright with waiting rather than daring to walk home since the bus stop was always full. Still, Denise, ever the kind-hearted woman, offered to drive you to your mother’s workplace. 

Denise understood that you were wary and good on you for being careful, but to her surprise, Jeff and Phil were nice enough to reassure you. And whether you agreed because of their mother’s gentleness, Jeff’s natural talent to make you feel comfortable with all three of them or even the hint of promise in Phil’s eyes that everything was going to be fine, Denise was glad you did. 

Your mother was extremely thankful, even offered to pay for their lunch for their next visit, but Denise refused and with the two becoming fast friends just as you were with Jeff and Phil, the rest was history.

Though, high school was… eventful, to say the least. While the two of you remained close, almost joined at the hip, you and Phil sometimes preferred backing off as Jeff’s popularity grew. Not that Jeff’s behaviour changed with the two of you, he was still the dorky, good-willed boy you knew.  

Although you and Phil may have fought a little with Jeff when he told you about his cheating on Jackie with Shauna. He broke up with Jackie soon after, but his decision to stay with Shauna may or may not have affected your friendship. You and his brother weren’t too keen on the idea of their own friend/brother being a cheater after all. 

Jeff especially hated it when it rocked what the two of you had. He was dumb enough to think ending up with Shauna or Jackie would make him forget his interest in you, and surprise surprise, it didn’t. The three of you stayed close friends, though he promised never to bring up about Shauna around you or Phil at all.

And then, high school ended. 

Phil’s decision to leave town for the Marines was not only the biggest shock to the neighbourhood but especially to his own family. Not that he didn’t have the means to be one, if anything, his mother and brother knew he’d be one of, if not, the best ones out there. He just never expressed his interest in military work at all. 

Throughout their years as a family, Mama had never seen the two fight so badly until Jeff discovered that Phil had been considering leaving Wiskayok, leaving their mother after they both finished community college. Though their fall-out didn’t last long, no more than two weeks, especially when their mother expressed her worries and sadness over their rocky relationship. 

Plus, Jeff didn’t want what strong bond he had with his brother to end just like that. He cared for his brother too much, and in their moment of vulnerability, he apologized for not doing more in their high school years. When some of his peers saw his little brother as his shadow rather than a person. Phil insisted that he barely cared about them, even flat out said they weren’t necessarily his friends unless it had to do anything with football. 

They hugged it out, and Mama was over the moon. Suddenly, the thought of Phil leaving for the military wasn’t as difficult, knowing that her boys were still going to keep in touch, and on a high note, no less.

He spent his last month in Wiskayok with you and your mother with the most mundane of things. 

But oh, how Mama’s emotions dipped when you, too, left shortly after your mother passed away. 

She couldn’t put it past you for doing so. How could she, when you’ve been nothing but an angel? A one in a million and she’d be damned if she convinced you to stay like a bird in a cage. As much as she and Jeff would love to, insisting that there was something for you in town, but just like with Phil, they didn’t. It was far too selfish of them, and you had so much potential. 

And as thankful as Mama was to have Jeff by her side at all times, there was someone else.

Shauna.

Shauna never sat right with her, no matter how far she was ‘willing’ to go to get to know her future mother-in-law better. Though the smile she brought out of Jeff was nowhere near as big or as wholesome as he was with you, there was a hint of guilt for feeling the way she did. Hoping you’d end up with one of her sons. 

But she wasn’t the only one thinking as such, but Jeff felt that he had lost his chance when you left.

So, he carried himself again to be a better person, especially when he truly believed Shauna was the one, much to his mother’s disbelief. Hell, she’d seen bigger smiles from him when he was with that Jackie girl before they broke up.

But her boy was insistent. 

Maybe, for once, her mother’s intuitions were wrong. 

And as the days went by, the possibility of Jeff putting a ring on Shauna grew higher, Mama did her best to accept her as her own. The two were civil at best, and no doubt that was enough for the two. 

But the years grew dull for the Sadeckis, and the second Jeff came knocking on his mother’s door at two in the morning, his wife not in sight, she knew she should’ve done more to stop what they had. 

It began with petty arguments, with Jeff being the one apologizing to Shauna, despite knowing she was in the wrong or if she began the fight in the first place. Then it became quarrels, something about her nonexistent book club when in reality, she had been meeting up with a man named Adam. 

Each time Mama received a call from her eldest, telling her that he and his wife ‘needed space’, she’d cook up a nice meal and make sure his old room was ready with the amenities he needed.

If it weren’t for Jeff’s attempts to calm his mother down, telling her it wasn’t worth the trouble, she would’ve marched down to Shauna’s front door and knocked some sense into her with a rolling pin. How dare she point her finger at Jeff, attempting to invalidate her own faults by saying it was him who cheated first during their years of marriage, thus, giving her the green light to do the same. 

Although yes, Jeff has done it once, when he cheated on Jackie, he regretted it. Immensely, especially seeing the disappointment in his mother’s face. Oh, how he apologized to her like he had committed the biggest sin of all, and frankly, he did. And though his mother was dismayed by his dishonesty, she knew when any of her boys truly regretted something.

Boy, never has he wished for things to turn out differently and still, he wanted to work things out, when he tried to show his mother what he saw in Shauna.

And she did, but she didn’t see what she or Jeff hoped she’d saw. The final straw was when his wife—his ex-wife disrespected his mother in her own house. He had given her many chances, forgiving her more times than he could count, but he could not stand for her raising her voice at his beloved mother. 

Denise had every right to feel grateful when the divorce happened, but that didn't mean she openly celebrated it in front of her son. But Phil was different, even went as far as having a congratulatory gift sent to their doorstep since he was still on duty. Despite knowing his brother was rolling in dough with his line of work, Jeff couldn’t help but gawk at the gifts, much to his mother’s amusement. A set of cashmere sweaters that probably cost anywhere from half to one grand, complete with a few bottles of fragrances and even one of the finest reds to commemorate the moment. Plus, a personalized rose-gold bracelet for Mama because why wouldn’t he want to spoil her at any given chance?

And though he and his mother did enjoy a few sips after moving back into the Bakers’ house, he couldn’t help but wonder how you were doing.

But he didn’t have to wait for long.

The day you and Phil returned to Wiskayok, standing in front of Mama’s door, she nearly dropped to her knees. Not only has she missed her youngest boy, despite his efforts in calling and texting and visiting in secret each time his deployment ended, but she most certainly missed you, too. It was your first time visiting since the very day you left, after all. Phil didn’t take it to heart when his mother scolded him for not telling her that the two of you were colleagues and maybe were together.

In reality, though, she had a feeling that you were still around. Closer than what you made them believe.

There were days when Phil had a chance to call his mother, and she’d suddenly bring you up. Wondering aloud if you were alright, how life was treating you in God knows where, and somehow, Phil’s confidence in his responses, telling her that he was certain you were doing well, she believed him. Word for word. As if she knew he was with you throughout your journey to find yourself, just like he did.

And she’d be right when the universe reunited you and Phil on the battlefield. When Shadow Company joined forces with 141 and Los Vaqueros, not expecting to find the girl of his dreams amongst the chaos and in those years, you laughed, you smiled, you wept and you released yourself for him and him alone. Finally acknowledging what the two of you were afraid to address as teenagers all those years ago.

Phil couldn’t imagine bringing his walls down for someone other than you and though like with everyone else, he still kept up the proud and almost infuriating act, no one else had the privilege to see the more caring, affectionate side of him except for you.

But Mama wasn't the only one surprised by the revelation.

On the first night of your arrival, Jeff didn't talk much, instead, hanging on to your every word. From the very moment you reached the city alone for the first time, till the very day you carried yourself into your team and reunited with Phil. How you even remembered the gifts you were meaning to give him and their mother in the middle of the conversation. And as the night fell, you insisted on booking a hotel not far from the neighbourhood.

Oh, how Mama has missed the old days when she'd tell you to stay over, making sure to call your mother about your whereabouts. While she wouldn’t dream of replacing your mother, it was understandable how her attentiveness for you has skyrocketed, now that she knew you and his son were coming over much more often. 

Still, she had conditions, eyeing Phil with a knowing look before telling him that you’d be staying in the guestroom. Still spick and span for hopeful days like these. Phil's cheeky smile was worth a thousand words, knowing his mother had caught on to what type of little games the two of you played. Her eye-roll was good-natured, even letting out a hearty laugh when she caught the embarrassed look on your face.

Throughout your stay, she saw how your relationship with Phil blossomed, and how the more-than-friendly feelings between you and Jeff were beginning to rekindle. How her sons’ true emotions—their true colours were showing in that same very house as it always did, as if nothing had changed. Mama knew there was something more to the loving looks they’d give you whenever you looked away.

And when she saw the three of you hanging out and sitting close in the backyard patio, watching the stars and laughing over a stupid stunt one of them had done as kids, she knew that you and her boys were going to be A-ok.

˚ · . f i n . · ˚

a/n: we love mama denise. ;; gorgeous rose divider by @firefly-graphics ♡

[hlstoryhuhh]

Lunch

Word Count: 1,216 Characters: Alex Claremont Diaz, Prince Henry Rating: General Audience (flirty)

This fanfic references "Lunch" by Billie Eilish

It’s been almost 2 months since Alex and Henry have hung out due to their busy schedules and Henry would be lying if he said he didn’t miss him. They’ve been pretty good mates for about 2 years now, but have only hung out about a handful of times. It’s hard to find a time where they’re both free and in the same city. It usually goes something like both boys are free, but in completely different cities or they’re in the same city, but at different events. Henry’s usually at some charity event while Alex is traveling for or busy with a case.

The last time the two hung out, Alex had invited Henry over for a movie night. They ended up watching a few movies late into the night where Henry fell asleep during the last one, so he ended up spending the night on Alex’s couch. In the morning, Henry woke up to the surprise that Alex had covered him with a blanket and stayed with him, crashing on the other couch. Alex could have gone into his own bed for all Henry cared. Reflecting, It was honestly one of the best days for Henry. He felt like he and Alex were inseparable and had a lot to talk about during the day, which was nice since Henry fears he can be a little quiet. By the end of the day, Henry really wanted to get to know Alex more. When it came to being invited over for a movie, he couldn’t pass up the opportunity – Henry thinks you can really get to know someone by the movies they like. By morning, Henry feels like his logic still stands. He and Alex had similar views on the movies and he thinks their friendship got stronger. At least he thinks Alex is on the same page … yeah, friendship. 

Henry hasn’t been able to get that night at Alex’s for the past two months and actually smiled when he saw Alex’s name pop up on his screen. Am I developing a crush? Henry wonders to himself. No, he can’t be – Alex is a friend that’s all. He hasn’t even shown any signs of being into me or guys in general for that matter, Henry continues in thought. Henry shakes his to shift his mind as he replies to Alex confirming their lunch plans.    

When Henry arrives at the restaurant, he sees that Alex has already gotten a table for them. He awkwardly points towards the table as he passes the host stand and is waved through. Alex got a table on the edge of the patio, so Henry had plenty of time to realize he was getting butterflies while weaving through the tables. When Henry arrived at the table, he noticed that a bottle of sparkling water had been opened and the bread was already there.

“Sorry, am I late?” Henry says approaching the table

“No Man, you’re good!” Alex reassures as he greets Henry with a bro hug and handshake. Which Henry is suddenly too nervous to complete smoothly. 

I was just “Down the street shopping and got done early, so I headed over here,” Alex continues as they sit down.

“Oh, okay, cool,” Henry says as he’s adjusting his place setting and observing Alex. He’s wearing a white tank top and casual yet fashionable green slacks. He looks like he should be at an event, Henry thinks to himself.

After the two have placed their order and start talking, someone comes up to the table. 

“Alex?!”, a girl's voice exclaims. “How are you? I haven’t seen you since our graduation from law school!,” she continues.

“Oh my gosh! Hi, I’m good, great,” Alex replies as he looks up and realizes who the girl is. 

“Oh, Henry! This is my friend, Ashley - Ashley, this is my friend, Henry,” Alex says introducing the two. 

Henry turns his head, smiles and shakes Ashley’s hand, “It’s nice to meet you!” Henry adds.  

“Yeah, we went to law school together … as Ashley just mentioned. She is literally the only reason I showed up to professor Chamberlain’s class. I know law can get boring and redundant, but that man did not help,” Alex says with a laugh while looking between Henry and Ashley.

“Yeah, his voice was so monotone it was hard to stay focused,” Ashley agrees.

Henry pipes in with a little chuckle before Ashley jumps, “Hey, do you mind if I pick your brain for a second? My law partner and I can’t seem to find a common ground on this case”. 

“Yeah … uh, Henry?” Alex says, turning his head to Henry’s. “Do You mind if Ashley joins us?” he continues to ask. “Totally up to you”, Alex adds.

Henry quickly looks between Alex and his friend shaking his head. “No, please do”, Henry says, inviting Ashley to sit down in the chair next to him.

Having someone else at the table may actually help get Henry’s with his nervous butterflies and any possible wandering thoughts. Hearing Alex talk law, and (semi) do this lawyer thing is actually attractive to Henry. Although, he does hate to admit that Ashley and Alex are kind of losing him with the legal jargon. Henry is able to recognize a few words and their meanings from the various charities he’s involved with, but he’s barely hanging on to the conversation. 

After giving up on following the conversation, Henry resorts to just admiring Alex who is now leaning back in his chair casually talking smart people stuff. Henry’s smart, but law is beyond him. Henry pulls out his phone to check it so he’s just not awkwardly sitting there. While he has it out, Henry decides that it would be a great time to capture a momentous video of the view around him … Alex included. All he can do is sit in complete awe of Alex. Smart, tall and handsome, yes please! Henry can’t help but notice Alex’s full arms out on display. And the muscles, oh the muscles… wait a minute, am I developing a crush? I purposely made sure Alex was in my video of “the view” and he doesn’t even know I have this video of him.  Henry thinks to himself. He tries to shake the thought because he knows he can’t do this. It would ruin the friendship that Henry feels they just really established. But, It may have just gotten worse for Henry… Am I actually getting turned on by all of this? Law jargon, the knowledge of the top of the head, the muscles it’s almost too much. Henry thinks to himself. As he’s re-watching the video he just took on loop, thoughts of Alex start flooding his mind. Alex. Him and Alex. He’s accepted this crush. He wants Alex. He wants his muscles, his lips, his hair, everything. Henry wants it all over him.

I could eat this boy for lunch … Henry thinks with a secret, flirtatious smile growing across his face.

[gentaro-kinniecom]

hihi! may i rq kaoru x fem reader where the reader is a mermaid? :3 thank you! <3

Destiny was made for us

Characters: Kaoru Hakaze/fem!reader

C/w: none! 2k+ words, fluff, mermaid!reader, a bit of fighting and angst but it has a happy ending. Kaoru might be ooc but he’s still a flirty mf 😞 HELP tooth-rotting fluff ew (AWEEUSNSNXND) slightly suggestive in some parts?? (Up to the readers pov i guess)

A/n: Hii !! This post is super long so I apologize for the extensive paragraphs LMAO also I just started my senior year so I might be more busy in school, but I’ll try to post and update as much as I can, thank you all for your follows, likes and the many support you’ve given me, it means a lot!! I hope you enjoy this <33

The sea calls out for him. It was a weird feeling, walking towards the sea during such a late hour. His friends adviced Kaoru to not even dare go so late out, he didn't listen nor believed in what his friends said about mermaids. Kaoru thought it was something out of a fairy tail, that wasn't real and that his friends were pranking him about the matter. It wasn't until he went that day, that he realized his friends were more than right.

But it was too late, Kaoru felt mesmerized by the ocean, noticing a faint glow peaking out from the dephs of the sea. He suddenly saw what he thought was a tail, from a mermaid? His body pulling itself towards the current, eyes locked on the now strong glow. Kaoru locked eyes with the person (?) in front of him, the thing is, it wasn't a human, but a mermaid who's eyes reflected the ocean.

"ah so you're a human?" the mermaid asked as kaoru smiled, feeling his body sit on the ocean floor, the mermaid's hands on his cheeks as she suddendly gasped

"oh right! you can't breathe.." she spoke, taking the new man she had met to the shore as he coughed up water, looking around as he saw the tail from earlier and turning towards her. In a moment of shock, Kaoru got aback, looking at her as she laughed, returning to the ocean as Kaoru stared in shock, leaving the beach and silently promising himself to come back some other day.

Undead had a photoshoot a few days after the encounter Kaoru had in the same beach as before. He wondered around, looking to see if the mysterious mermaid would appear before him once more. The photoshoot ended within a few hours, Kaoru had stayed back, waiting for the right moment as he saw her again. She laid in the sand, smiling at Kaoru who was admiring her beautiful features.

"i believe i have yet to know your name" the mermaid spoke, her tail shimmering under the afternoon sun as he sat beside her, looking at the sea as he replied

"Kaoru. Kaoru Hakaze, what's yours?" He asked, short and simple but it made her smile. It has been a long time since she's ever had an interaction with a human once more.

"Y/n, I'm sorry for nearly drowning you yesterday, I didn't think you would be that curious to follow me into the depths of the ocean" She replied, joining Kaoru who was still admiring the ocean view, Y/n suddenly joined the waves, noticing that Kaoru had stood up briefly to watch as she swam happily, coming back to shore and waiting for Kaoru to bring up the conversation again.

"Well..I just felt like I had to do it. Something was telling me to follow you, weird isn't it?" Kaoru joined her in the seashore, staring at her e/c orbs, she was just so pretty, almost like a siren in disguise, waiting for the right moment to drown him in the ocean to her heart's content. But it wasn't that way, she was just as in awe as him. His light brown eyes complementing his dark blonde mullet styled hair that flowed with the wind.

"no I get that, how long are you staying at the resort?" y/n inquired, sitting in the seashore, feeling the waves pull at her body as Kaoru did the same, he smiled shorty before replying to her.

"about a month or so? I haven't spoken to my managers about that" He sheepishly spoke, scratching the back of his neck slightly as she pondered, then speaking

"your..manager? Do you sing? I've seen many idols come by sometimes and seen their performances from up close..when i have the chance every few moons or so" He frowned, not understanding the words that she had just spoken, y/n smiled before explaining what she meant by that

"I can turn into a human, it happens during some change the sun and moon form together, I cannot control it and which is why..I have a small house from here, it truly is my second home" Y/n spoke, truthfully, noticing Kaoru had been attently listening to her. It seemed what she spoke of, was happening right in front of him.

"Is it such a coincidence how you changed after you said that?" He asked, looking at her and the new form she adquired after leaving the ocean, her tail had 'magically' changed into legs like his. Y/n still had a rough time getting herself used to her new form, nearly tripping as she felt Kaoru's hands holding her to prevent that from happening again.

"apperantly it is, my father had warned that it could happen again and this time it may be permanent" Kaoru's face expressed worry for her, they began walking together in the beach, their footprints dissapearing once the waves met the sandy shore as they talked about their lives, and how different both of them were, but of course, the sea and land are two completely different worlds.

"So your father is a legend in your hometown?" Y/n nodded, she crouched down to look at the sea shells and pretty rocks as Kaoru picked some up, offering them to her as she smiled.

"Somewhat, I just had the bad luck of getting this curse that I can't even control, there's a sea witch that offered me help but I can't give her what she's asking for in exchange"

"What could she probably ask in exchange?" Kaoru questioned, sitting on a nearby bench that was a bit far from the beach itself and in the park that was right beside it. He offered her a seat beside him, noticing how she fidgeted with her hands, looking a bit nervous as she answered him.

"My soul. Strange, isn't it? It would be useless to give up something as precious and life giving as that to be able to control what I can't in the first place." His eyes slightly widened at the reveal, Kaoru wasn't expecting that, he didn't know if to comfort her or just straight up do nothing.

"That..really is something, I'm sorry"

"Don't be, it's not your fault, I don't need any pity as well. Its just, things that happen you know?" Kaoru disagreed, expressing his thoughts later on.

"But those things aren't common, anywhere! I know we come from different areas, but you shouldn't have to do something so extreme like that" She wasn't expecting that, looking at Kaoru who was already glancing at her, eyes with a faint sparkle that she noticed, he wondered if it was really destiny that brought them together

"I know, maybe its a good thing we met then. When's your next concert?" She asked as Kaoru accompanied Y/n to the small beach house around the corner, it was beautifully decorated on the outside, the inside had little to not much furniture, it seemed the amount of times she would visit here weren't so frequent as he thought it would be.

"Nice house, I'm asuming you rarely come by right?" Kaoru asked, she slightly smiled and laughed as he did the same.

"Yeah, my apologies for not being able to offer you anything at the moment, I wasn't expecting this to happen so soon." He digressed, sitting on one of the stools from the kitchen, soon answering Y/n

"Its in about a week from here, why? You're planning on going?" She smiled, nodding as they later on, stood out on the front porch.

"Its getting late, your friends might get worried, I'll go see you in a week, I promise" With those final words, Kaoru bid her a goodnight and left towards the nearby resort, thinking about tonight’s events as he soon fell into a deep slumber.

The week went by so fast, Kaoru couldn't believe it as he stood in front of the big mirror in his dressing room. Looking at the clock and silently wishing Y/n would keep her promise of being there to see him perform. As Undead began their performance, Kaoru spotted Y/n in a (f/c) summer dress as she waved at him softly. During the entire concert, he couldn’t help but stare at her, smiling every once in a while in her direction as she reciprocated her own. After it had ended, Kaoru requested for her presence in his dressing room.

“You called?” She asked, closing the door behind her as Kaoru smiled, noticing that she was cold from the air conditioning in the room, he quickly grabbed one of his favorite coats, placing it on her arms as she thanked him

“Well yeah, I wanted to know if you liked the concert” Kaoru replied, allowing her to sit on his couch as she smiled, noticing how Kaoru looked..different from all those days ago, his aura was radient, it almost seemed as if he felt at peace with her, and she felt at home with him.

“Of course I did, I didn’t pin you to be the flirting type” Y/n laughed, seeing how Kaoru suddenly leaned closer towards her, slowly making her back hit the couch while Kaoru chuckled, caressing her face as she laid there for a moment, realizing the compromising position

“Why? Are you into flirty guys?” She pushed him back, feeling a bit embarrassed as he smiled, softly ruffling her hair while Kaoru stood up, Y/n following as they walked outside towards the beach like usual

“I guess it’s things I rarely see in my hometown, there’s no one I’m really interested in. They’re all after the same thing, to become the next heir to a great fortune my ancestors left behind” His eyes widen slightly, pouting a bit as he enjoyed the night breeze at the beach alongside who he knew was his soulmate, two souls destined to meet each other and spend the rest of their lives together. His hand intertwined with hers, kissing the top of hers as she smiled, listening to his words with awe

“I know we barely met about two weeks ago, but I can promise you, those guys are jerks, they don’t deserve anything that you have” Kaoru’s words touched her heart, which was beating at about a hundred miles, she had never felt this way before, perhaps this curse..wasn’t that terrible at all

“You’re right, they were, and still are. Tell me Kaoru, do you believe in true love, or are you just flirting with any woman you come across?” The question snapped him out of the daydream he had while gazing at the moon that reflected on the ocean. Kaoru turned towards Y/n, smiling as he moved a bit closer to her, not letting go of her hand as he answered her question

“I’ve flirted with many girls-“ he paused, taking in Y/n’s face for a moment and continuing “-but I do believe in true love, I think I found the one” He smiled, glancing at her again, his grip on her hand tightened.

“Really? I think so too” They smiled and looked away as teenagers feel when they’re in love with each other. She quickly dragged Kaoru towards a nearby cave that revealed a beautiful waterfall at the very end of it

“It’s..absolutely breathtaking Y/n, how did you find this place?” He looked around in awe as she let go of his hand, walking towards the waterfall as she sat down in one of the rocks inside the big pond that accompanied it.

“When I turned into a human for the first time, I came across it, and just knew I had to bring whom I think would be my true love” He felt his heart burst, sitting beside her, not believing the words that she had just spoken

“..me? You really think so?” Y/n nodded, leaning closer towards Kaoru as he held her hands, now stumbling together in the pond, getting their clothes wet as they laughed, hugging each other for a while

After a while, Kaoru took her back to her small beach house, standing in the doorway. It was a bit of an awkward moment even though they technically confessed to one another.

“Have you ever kissed someone Kaoru?” Y/n wondered, observing how he stood closer, his eyes scanning her face before pulling Y/n into his embrace

“I..haven’t. Why? Do you want to kiss?” She averted her gaze to the floor, he smiled, placing his hand on her chin, making her look up as he leaned forward, close enough for her to hold her breath

“Yeah, I guess you could say that” And with that, their lips met, his hands on her waist softly as they kissed under the moonlight. As they parted away, she couldn’t believe he would just kiss her like that at her request

“Just so you know, I wouldn’t kiss anyone else even if they asked, I want to be yours Y/n, even if you eventually turn back into your normal state, I’ll keep loving you” She smiled, tear-eyed as he kissed her forehead lovingly. Her hands holding him tightly, not wanting to let go.

“I think I’m in love with you Kaoru” Y/n confessed, feeling as Kaoru kissed her again, this time she was pinned against her front door, his hands remained on her waist, parting away while panting heavily.

“Me too, I can’t live without you. It’s like I’ve known you for a long time” Her eyes widen a bit, noticing the necklace he wore as she touched it.

“Wait, Kaoru have we met before? This necklace..you were the guy I met three years ago! I gave you this necklace, it has my hometown’s most precious gem.” His brain clicked the pieces together, that one summer where he went on vacation with his family and met a girl his age, making necklaces on the shore as he sat beside her…it was Y/n this entire time

“I’ve always knew I’d find you some day, I haven’t forgotten about it ever since I began wearing the necklace” She hugged him, sobbing in his arms, not believing that destiny was real and how it favored them so.

Years later, they got engaged, getting married at the same beach they met for the first time, Y/n’s family heard of the news, and now that her life finally found a balance, the curse was no more. She could easily change between human and mermaid form, her family already knowing how to do so and being able to assist their wedding. It was the best day ever for them. Wearing beautiful outfits and crying during their vows, their love was unmatched for any circumstance that occurred in their lifes, and now as Husband and Wife, Kaoru was more than happy to settle down together, taking a small hiatus from his group to tend to his loving wife.

“I don’t regret ever marrying you my love, you’re the best thing that has ever happened to me” He smiled, kissing Y/n dearly as they laid in their new bed, taking in how exhausting yet fun the wedding was.

“Me neither, I’m glad its you, even my family approves of you, trust me when they said they are visiting frequently from now on” They laughed, now sitting up and looking from their bedroom window the sunset and the ocean. Two different worlds, colliding to achieve peace between them. In perfect harmony, holding hands as they felt their connection towards one another stronger, this was the beginning of something truly beautiful.

[multiphandommess]

Trouble In Paradise

Requested by @wosoobsessed

Request: Thank you so much! Could I possibly have one where Natasha and the reader go on holiday together maybe somewhere like Australia. And they’ve both been working a lot so they haven’t been spending a lot of time together ,but in the time they have spent together they’ve been arguing about little things cus they’re both tired. But when they get there Natasha starts doing work on her laptop and is just acting rlly disconnected and it’s results in them having an argument. But really Natasha is planning on proposing so that’s why she’s been so busy. And then the next day they make up and then in the evening Natasha proposes to the reader and it’s all cute. Sorry if this is too long. But thank you anyway!!

Mia POV

“Nat? Come on, we’re gonna miss our Uber if you don’t hurry your happy ass up,” I yelled to my girlfriend. I was standing in front of our door, my bags packed for our trip. Natasha is taking me on a trip to Australia, our first trip together in over 2 years where neither of us plans to work. I started to make my way to our shared bedroom when my beautiful (and slow) girlfriend met me halfway. Despite only wearing casual clothes, just a pair of black jeans, my hoodie, a flannel over the sweatshirt, and a pair of boots, she looked ethereal. She is only slightly smaller than me but the hoodie she was wearing is a bit oversized on me so she looked tiny in the article of clothing. 

“Alright, alright. Don’t get your panties in a bunch, I’m ready,” She joked, putting her bags next to mine, “Well come on! What was that about us being late?” she said with a smirk. About 10 minutes later, we were finally in the Uber and on the way to the airport. She had her headphones on and was scrolling on her phone but she was still listening as I told her about a new directing job one of my friends got. I met Natasha nearly 10 years ago when I was still in film school and was interning with one of the directors on Orange Is The New Black. I wanted to work on horror films but a crime show with some violence was the closest I could get at the time, though I don’t regret it at all. After striking up a conversation during a short break between takes, we became friends. I ended up working on the show until they ended it, creating a family-like bond between me and the cast and crew. In early 2019, after our last shoot day wrapped, Natasha showed up at my door (more than) slightly drunk and stated her feelings towards me in an adorably intoxicated way. She stayed over that night and we went on our first date the next day. It’s been 4 years since that date and I couldn’t be happier. I broke out of my thoughts as I got caught staring. “I see that my face is very interesting, but what’s got you all smiley?” She asked.

My face turned red, “Just thinking of you, baby,” I replied. 

“Ok, slow down there with the flattery.”

“Yeah, yeah,” I said, rolling my eyes playfully. Our driver pulled up to the airport, and we got out. We checked our bags and went through security. I turned to look at Nat with a slight pout, “I’m hungry.”

She wrapped her arm around my shoulder, “Well, let’s go fix that, hun,” she checked her watch, “We got time.” She began steering me towards the various restaurants and places to get food, allowing me to make the final choice. 

-Time Skip-

We had a layover in Texas and decided to get food and drinks from the bar as it was a few hours later. I got a burger, Natasha got nachos, and we got a beer. Conversations flowed smoothly as we talked about anything from job offers to new movies releasing soon, even to our plans for the holidays. I had begun to infodump about a new horror movie I had seen when I looked over to see Nat staring at me as she was drinking, both intrigued by what I was talking about and shamelessly checking me out. I blushed but continued talking. Horror wasn’t Natasha’s favorite genre, but she still enjoyed it and enjoyed hearing my excitement talking about it. We sat there for a few hours until our next flight. The only downside of traveling to Sydney was the amount of time spent traveling. I was fully planning on passing out both on the plane and at our hotel when we got there. She hadn’t told me where in Sydney we were staying. I was a bit tipsy after a few drinks and was very tired after our day of traveling, so as we waited at the terminal, I laid my head on Nat’s shoulder and drifted off. About 20 minutes later, she gently shook me awake. “M? It’s time to get up, darling. They’re boarding. You can sleep on the plane, this next flight is over 12 hours,” She told me as I sat up and stretched. On the plane, I rested against Natasha again, and after we took off, she pulled me more into her. This was a little shocking as she wasn’t nearly as touchy as I was but I still accepted the affection.

 Many hours, movies, and snacks later, we arrived in Sydney. We left Texas at 10 p.m. and got to Sydney at about noon. Natasha had rented a car for the trip and after putting our bags in the back, she started towards our hotel. When we got there, I was shocked. The building was giant and beautiful (this is where they’re staying). I immediately took off my shoes and flopped onto the bed. Nat laughed lightly at my antics and put our stuff away before joining me on the bed. She pulled me into her and we sat in a comfortable silence as we both fell asleep. When woke up, it was dark out. I woke up first, got up, used the restroom, and changed into something new and not worn for over 20 hours straight. I turned back around to see my girlfriend staring at me. “What do you think you're looking at?” I asked with a smirk. 

She mirrored my expression and replied, “Admiring my love.”

“You trying to get into my pants, Lyonne?” I joked.

“Always, beautiful,” She replied, as she stood up and walked over to me. She wrapped her arms around my waist from behind and kissed my neck. I turned around in her hold and leaned my head against her shoulder. I breathed in her scent, a woodsy, musky scent mixed with the slight lingering scent of cigarettes. She had quit earlier this year but the smell still stuck to some of her shirts. She walked away from me to change as well and one of my siblings texted me. As I replied to my sister, Nat walked up next to me. “You wanna go get dinner?” She asked. 

“Sure. Just let me finish texting Luna back and I’ll be ready,” I responded. She nodded in acknowledgment and walked to put her shoes on. I sent the text, slipped on my shoes, and went to grab my wallet when Nat pulled me back.

“I’m paying so you don’t need your wallet, love,” She told me.

“How thoughtful,” I replied and kissed her cheek, “Thank you, Bubba.” She grabbed my jaw and planted a kiss on my lips before leading me out the door. She took me to a steakhouse and an ice cream shop for dessert. I paid my gratitude through kisses and the atmosphere was peaceful and loving.

-Time Skip-

So, we have been in Sydney for a couple of days, and for the past couple of days, Natasha hasn’t been herself. She is extra affectionate and then just blows me off for a little bit. She also isn’t nearly as talkative nor has she seemed like her normal funny self. She’s been closed off and it’s honestly, kind of bumming me out. But I had been determined to make this trip better and remained optimistic. Well, that is until the 4th day. I woke up to an empty bed, something that had become more and more normal on this trip, and I got up to go find my partner. I found her working on her laptop, and this set me over the edge. “Really, Natasha?” I asked annoyed, as I rolled my eyes. She looked up at me, shocked. I rarely ever used her full name when talking to her and when I did, it was never in an annoyed tone. “You promised me that you wouldn’t work on this trip at all! And maybe I would have less of a problem with it if you weren’t actively pushing me away! You barely even look my way anymore! Did I do something? You seemed fine before we left,” I ranted, more than a little bit angry. Nat looked a bit stunned at my sudden outburst. 

“N-no. You didn’t do anything. I just need to finish this thing and then we can go do something,” She said, trying to comfort me. 

“It’s fine, Natasha. Don’t let me stop your work. I’m going out, so I’ll be back later,” I said, not wanting to hear a half-assed explanation. I quickly changed and walked towards to door. Natasha was waiting by the door looking like a kicked puppy. “Nat, move. I just need to leave for a little bit to clear my head so I don’t say something I don’t mean,” I told her, still outwardly mad. She frowned but still wouldn’t meet my eyes as I walked out of the door. I went to a local coffee shop and stayed there for a few hours. Natasha tried to call me a few times but I ignored them all and turned off my phone. As I turned my phone back on, I saw one text from her. It said ‘Let me make it up to you by letting me take you out to dinner tonight, ok? We’ll go to a nice restaurant. I’m getting ready now so that you don’t have to see me before dinner. We can meet at the restaurant and I’ll leave you the car so you can drive. I love you, angel. I’m sorry. I hope you meet me.’ I couldn’t say no to dinner, I wanted an explanation. So I got up, threw my cup away, and walked back to our hotel room. I walked into the empty room and started to get ready. I put on my outfit (either a black suit or a black dress, whichever you want) and finished fixing my appearance. I got the car keys and walked out to the car. Inside the car, on the dash, there was a letter. My name was scrawled on the front in Natasha’s slightly messy writing. It had the address of the restaurant as well as another apology. The restaurant was about 20 minutes from the hotel and looked beautiful and high-end. I parked and got out and saw my girlfriend wearing a beautiful black dress. She didn’t wear them very often but she always looked stunning in them; even more so now as the sun was setting behind us, covering her in golden hour lighting. She smiled as I walked up to her and linked her arm with mine. We walked in and were seated quickly. They took our orders and we were sitting in a tense silence.

Natasha spoke first, “Alright before you spend this whole night glaring at me, let me explain. The reason that I was on my computer was because I was working out the pickup time details for this…” She trails off, reaching into her bag and pulling out a ring box. She opened it to reveal a beautiful engagement ring. “I had been looking for the perfect ring for a while and when I found this one, I fell in love. I was already planning on taking you somewhere and when I found out that it was made in Australia, I knew it was a match made in heaven. But, I’m still sorry. I promised absolutely no work and I still had my focus on my screens instead of you, so I don’t want you to feel bad, you didn’t ruin anything and I’m not upset,” She finished, and my face was bright red and my mouth opened. Despite her saying it wasn’t a big deal, I still felt terrible.

“I’m so so sorry-”

“No. No apologizing, you did nothing wrong. Now, time for the age-old question,” She joked, trying to make me feel better, “I would get on one knee, but I don’t think that your anxiety wants that in public, so imagine it. Mia Davis, the love of my life, the person I met while filming a criminal lesbian porno, the person who has always been there for me, will you please marry me?”

“Of course, crazy! Did you really think there would be another answer?! I love you!” I exclaimed. She hugged me, slipped the ring on my finger, and kissed me. 

As we sat back down, she answered me, “To be honest, I wasn’t quite sure that you would say yes after this morning,” she told me, looking sheepish.

“Baby, couples fight, you know this. I know we don’t very often, but that doesn’t mean I’ll stop loving you,” I said, smiling at her. The rest of the night went amazing and I was lucky enough to go back to our hotel, with my fiance.

[wolfprincesszola]

The Fate of the Marked Six Chapter 5

Happy Thanksgiving! Sorry for the late update (no i don't have a valid excuse), but here it is now! Hope you enjoy! ——————– Summary: Virgil moves into a new town and meets Roman, a ghost that he promises to help in finding the unfinished business needed to pass over. However, Roman's past seemed to be deeply muddled with trouble, an uncurable disease that has started to affect a classmate, and a certain tight-lipped valedictorian. Friendships are made and Virgil finds himself thrown into a situation far more complicated and twisted than he signed up. Hopefully, with the help of his new five friends, he can find a way to bring peace to the town once and for all.

Trigger Warnings: None

Content Warnings: Swearing, Slight Suggestive Language

<Masterlist>

<Previous> <Next> ——————–

Chapter 05

Someone moved next to Janus’s house, but considering he hadn’t seen the people, he just assumed the people moved were a young couple looking for a new way of life. He didn’t bother to try and introduce himself because the last two tenants had moved out, claiming the house was “haunted”. There was no explanation to why or what was haunting it, because even mediums that had been hired to look into the house claimed there was no one there. No one in the spiritual world, nor anyone in the real world.

He came back home to see someone else coming home from his neighbors. Deciding he wanted to see who it was, he parked his car, staring at the now-parking car across from him.

Janus was expecting a young couple, but what he got instead was Virgil himself coming out, and his mother on the driver’s side.

“Huh. What a weird coincidence.” Janus snorted, mumbling to himself as he called to Virgil, “Virgil!”

Virgil turned his head before his eyes flushed in embarrassment. He only went over once his mother pushed him towards the boy. "Hey, Janus. What are you doing here?”

“I live here.”

“Oh." Virgil replied, blinking at Janus before pointing to his house, "We just moved here."

Janus could tell Virgil's expression screamed of wanting to get out of the conversation, so he decided to grant Virgil that wish.

Janus ended the conversation, nodding, "I see that. I hope you've unpacked and I'll see you later."

“Yeah…see you later.”

Janus nodded, breaking away from looking at Virgil to walk into his house. He had forgotten for a second to stop making eye contact with Virgil, and during lunch that day, he had seen Virgil’s fate branded onto him, something he wished no one would ever have to experience.

㾓.

With that word, it had to have context. In some cases, it meant fatigue. In others, it meant melancholy. The worst way it could control Virgil’s fate was hatred.

Janus had seen it only once before in that context. An actor had it branded on his head when Janus had bumped into him by accident in real life. Years after he bumped into him, he ended up giving into the hatred of himself and of others. The actor died in a house fire he set off himself, killing 15 other people.

The others he had seen it in were elders, who more resonated with the idea of fatigue, or kids who had to grow up too early. In teens, it was melancholy, clearly having to deal with the loneliness.

He hoped for Virgil, the case was fatigue, something that could hopefully be changed.

He promised himself that as soon as he helped with Remus’s fate, he would find a way to change Virgil’s into something less tragic.

“Hey, what are you thinking about?”

Janus blinked, looking towards the voice to see his mother smiling at him.

“Oh, nothing.” Janus murmured, “It was just a long day at school.”

“Did you meet the new neighbors?”

“Just did. One of them is the new kid at my school.” Janus shrugged, “He’s chill.”

“You have nothing else to say about him?”

“I dunno. What do you want me to say?” Janus asked as he put his backpack down.

“I mean, their family seems really amazing, but I was wondering if maybe they’ll be staying. I mean, the last neighbors didn’t even last a week.”

“Well, they’ve been moved in for about a week.” Janus shrugged as he grabbed a couple of things out of his backpack, “I think they’ll be okay, especially since Virgil has magic.”

“Does he now? Is it magic like yours?”

Janus shuddered, “Oh universe, I hope no one has a power like mine. It’s already bothersome for me to deal with it. Imagine if there were more people like me.”

“I was just suggesting! You don’t normally have a lot of friends, so I just thought that maybe…”

“Stop it, Mom.” Janus rolled his eyes, “Re's enough, and sometimes, he’s a bit too much. Virgil's chill, and he has medium powers, so I’m sure that haunted things won’t really scare him too much.”

“Oh, that’s nice.”

“Now, I’m going to cook some pasta. Call me if you need anything.”

-+=~=+-

Janus had tried before to see his fate, but the problem was he couldn’t see anyone’s fate through mirrors or screens. When he looked into one, he was faced with a sense of normality where he could see people without the impending fate hovering above their forehead.

He could only get glimpses of it through the reflection of people’s eyes, but usually, they didn't keep their eyes on Janus long enough for him to read what it said.

That was why he got sick of not knowing his fate and called Remus up to come to his house. He arrived soon, as Janus had said it was an ‘emergency that he would only be able to solve’.

“Janus!” Remus’s voice sang throughout the house, “Your savior is here!”

“I'm so not glad you're here, Remus.” Janus sighed in relief as he motioned for Remus to go into his room.

“2 inches!” His father yelled as soon as the two disappeared into the other room. Janus couldn't blame him for the comment, considering how many sexual comments Remus had made about Janus at the dinner table. By this point, their family knew the two would be far from instigating it, but still made the comments just in case.

"Oh, Mr. Wright, don't tease me with a good time~" Remus grinned.

"2 inches." Janus' father warned Remus, ignoring the comment the teenager made.

Remus walked into Janus' room, still shutting the door after Janus walked in despite all the warnings made. He made himself comfortable sitting on Janus' bed before turning to his best friend, "So, did you finally think about my offer to show you a good time?"

"Oh, totally." Janus rolled his eyes, sarcasm dripping from his voice, "Stay still, I want to look into your eyes. Don't make this weird."

"How can I not make this weird, Jan? You're giving me the best material!" Remus complained as he proceeded to make it into a staring contest.

Janus ignored every comment Remus threw at him while he was moving his head to try and find the perfect spot. If Janus could read through Remus' brown eyes, then he could find what his fate was. He could read a stroke or two, but not enough for it to be readable (mainly from Remus’s shifting), and he huffed, grabbing onto Remus’s face, “Can you stay still for one moment?”

That moment didn’t last long enough as Remus screamed, jumping away from Janus’s touch and scrambling to the other side, breathing heavily.

“What happened?” Janus raised an eyebrow, “I brought you here because I thought you wouldn’t make this weird!”

“I'm all for jump scares but how did you do that?” Remus' eyes were widened as he stared at Janus as if he had just seen a ghost, "You’re being weird and touchy and vague, you start staring into my eyes sensually, you texted me saying this was an emergency, and I swore I saw some black Chinese character appear above your head.”

Janus faltered, staring at his best friend, “Sorry…repeat that.”

“What part?” Remus asked.

“The part with the Chinese character.”

“I don’t know. You just held my face and then I saw it, and then I pulled away and it was gone.”

Janus stared at him in silence.

"Jan?" Remus asked nervously.

Before Janus could ease Remus' nerves, Janus' father yelled, "Is everything okay up there? I heard Remus scream."

"We're okay!" Janus yelled before shaking his head at Remus to make sure Remus didn't spill anything.

“Whatever you say. Don’t fool around, or I’m going to supervise you guys. And I thought I said 2 inches, you two."

Janus rolled his eyes, knowing neither would go to open the door. Once he was sure his father was gone, he turned his attention back to his best friend. "Re?"

"What happened? Seriously? Have you been hiding this from me?"

"Let's test it." Janus held his hand out.

“Test what?”

“Clearly, something happened when I touched you. We try it again and see if it’s the same result.” Janus and Remus had never kept physical contact for long enough to look at each other's faces before they let go.

“What does it mean if it’s the same result?”

“Then, there’s a pattern.”

“Are you sure you’re-“

“Remus, my asshole, my unhinged best friend, the light of my life…this is the only time you’re getting physical touch from me, so either capitalize on this shit or we can never know about what’s going on with your magic.” Janus stared at him, “I…think this might be your power, because right as I held your face, I felt power surge through my blood, even if for a millisecond.”

Remus hesitated, but still placed his palm on top of Janus’s. Immediately, Janus felt his power grow, and he watched as the black symbol of death on Remus’s forehead started to fade.

Remus’s eyes shifted to Janus’s forehead, where he murmured something. Soft enough for Janus to barely have heard it.

“Pride.”

“Hm?”

“That’s what the symbol on your head means. Pride.”

“Huh." Janus let out a knowing sigh. His fate wasn't the worst. In fact, it just showed that maybe his pride would end up being his fatal flaw. He wasn't so sure, but it wasn't as bad as what Remus' fate was. "Wait, how did you know what the symbol meant?"

"I thought you were reading the Kama Sutra, so I grabbed it to see what page you bookmarked, but it ended up being a Chinese dictionary. I learned a lot of words from it against my will." Remus shrugged.

Janus had bigger things than to question all of Remus' decisions within that moment, but it still made him wonder. Why would Remus assume that Janus was reading the Kama Sutra? Why would Remus try to steal the book? Why would Remus continue reading and finish the entire dictionary before Janus noticed?

“Hold on, so is this your power right now?” Remus asked, as he glanced around the room before his eyes landed back on Janus’s forehead and the black symbol that haunted him.

“Yeah. My power is seeing everyone’s fates.”

“Oh sick! What’s mine?” Remus flashed a grin.

“Uh…love.” Janus fibbed as he looked away, “How are you feeling?”

“Better than I ever have.” Remus smiled, staring into Janus’s eyes and he knew he was genuine.

Janus watched as Remus’s mark faded completely, almost as if Remus was pushing all of his magic into Janus, and his magic continued to get stronger. Janus watched as Remus’s smile didn’t have as much exhaustion in them, and he watched him sit up for the first time.

“Remus!”

The two jumped at the noise, quickly withdrawing both their hands as they heard Janus' mother coming up the stairs.

“Are you staying here for dinner?” His mother opened the door and peeked her head in.

Remus scratched the back of his head, “It’s okay, I’m probably going home soon anyways.”

Janus’s mother tsked, “Nonsense. I’ll call your mother and tell his that you’re staying here to eat. You two better not be goofing off.”

“We aren’t.” Janus rolled his eyes.

“Good. Don’t commit any crimes.”

“We won’t, Mrs. Wright.”

“Stop that. Don’t call me that.” Janus’s mother rolled his eyes, “I’ll call you two when dinner is done.”

“Thanks, Mom!” The two of them yelled at the same time.

Janus made a face, turning towards Remus, “Don’t ever call my mom that again.”

Remus stuck his tongue at Janus and started to slouch again, the mark of death on his forehead slowly fading in again.

“How are you now?” Janus asked worryingly.

“I’m okay.” Remus forced a small smile, as Janus watched Remus mask the pain, like he probably had done millions of times already. “I think it’s weird feeling the magic rush back into my system.”

Janus was the one that was supposed to lie, so he didn't understand why Remus was hiding this from him. Maybe because Remus cared a little more about Janus that he'd like to admit and that Janus would've worried if he knew what Remus was going to.

“Hey, Re?”

“Hm?”

“Would you ever lie to me?”

“No, of course not. I never hide anything from anyone.”

“Do you have an illness I need to worry about?”

Janus watched as Remus swallowed, giving Janus the most patient smile, “No, of course not. I’m not going to leave you anytime soon. I promise.”

“Pinky promise, Re?” Janus held his hand out.

Remus linked their pinkies, “I pinky promise, Jan.”

Janus felt his heart sink as he watched the mark above Remus’s head start to turn red.

-+=~=+-

Janus felt the need to take a walk after Remus left his house, after a lot of Janus' family shoving food onto Remus' plate, and Remus having to refuse after a while. He loved Remus with all his heart and knew Janus would tell him the truth about anything. Even if Janus had a tendency to lie about a lot of things, it was easier to be honest with Remus unlike how it was with anyone else. Sometimes though, it was a hard pill to swallow to know Janus loved Remus so much that he’d lie to keep Remus happy. He wished it was easier for Remus to also be honest as a best friend, but he knew he couldn’t ask that much from a boy who didn’t even tell most that he was suffering through something incurable.

He walked until he found a park in the neighborhood, which he proceeded to loop around, making sure to avoid the darker areas, and be alert towards any sound.

“You’ve passed by this tree three times.”

Janus whipped his head toward the sound to see Logan sitting at a park bench, staring at him. He screamed, jumping back before staring, “A little warning next time, Logan? What are you doing here?”

“I could say the same about you.” Logan replied as he cleared his stuff off from the bench, “I come here for inspiration sometimes.”

“Inspiration? For what?”

“I want to become a writer in the future. I come here because of that statue.”

Janus turned around to see a small statue with the face of a boy sitting at the edge of the pedestal with a paintbrush and a smile. He looked about their age. “Who’s he?”

“Ah, just a kid who died in a car crash when he was young. His family got the park to memorialize him, and now…he sits here, smiling and hoping that someone else won’t also get hit.” Logan shrugged, “He’s wearing a ‘drive safe’ shirt.”

“Was he an artist?”

“Somewhat.” Logan murmured, “What brings you here, Janus?”

“I’m just getting some air.”

Logan nodded, “Then you can stay here as long as you like.”

“...I’m sorry about what we were saying during lunch. I promise we weren’t being mean to your brother.”

“I know.” Logan’s voice was hoarse, “But unfortunately, my parents don’t believe we should give him the benefit of others talking good about him, and I’d rather not speak ill of the one that took care of me for a long time.”

“You seem really fond of him.”

“I am.” Logan smiled as he opened up his notebook to the last page, where a cosmic sky was painted. It was the first time in a very long time that Janus had seen Logan smile. The last time had to be before Logan had suddenly made the shift to never be close to anyone. Janus wondered what had happened.

Janus looked over at the small white handwriting that was almost unreadable. It was in almost-illegible cursive, but Janus was able to make out the sentence, “You deserve to look at the back of your notebook, and realize that I have wasted the last page of your notebook without your permission.”

“This was the last thing he gave to me before he left.” Logan murmured, shutting the notebook again and Janus watched as the mark of regret on Logan’s forehead--which had almost faded--started to glow.

“You must have a lot of regret regarding him.”

“Ah, it’s nothing.” Logan shook his head, his gaze shifting away from the statue as he changed the subject, “How’s Remus doing?”

“I haven’t found a way to bring it up to him that I know.” Janus looked down, “I just…I want to help him.”

“There’s no cure.”

“Oh come on, you’re the valedictorian. You study for a living. I haven’t ever not seen you holding some form of homework or research. There’s nothing you know about this type of cancer. I can’t find anything.”

Logan hesitated for a millisecond, but it was enough for Janus to catch onto it.

“You hesitated. You do know something.”

“I already broke my oath not to break the rules for anyone.” Logan replied, “I can’t break another one.”

“Why not? What was the oath?”

“It’s not my character to break them.” Logan murmured as he pulled at his sleeves, “I just don’t like telling people information about things they care so much about because often, it hurts them more than it helps them, and at the end of the day, you’ll regret it.”

“No, please.” Janus pleaded, “I can’t find anything on this, and I need to help Re.”

“Why do you care so much?” Logan asked, “I know he’s your best friend, but I don’t think that there would be anyone in this world that I would spend every waking moment of my life trying to find a cure for something that is incurable. I’d just try to spend every moment with them because time is limited.”

“Jeez, that's not bleak at all.” Janus laughed as he saw the symbol on Logan’s forehead continue to glow a faint amber, “As you know, I moved here during elementary school. The 5th grade teacher took one look at me and knew I was going to be the quiet kid. They sat me next to Remus, hoping that maybe he would get me to open up. I swear to God, I wanted to punch him in the face every time he talked…but it was also kinda nice. I didn’t have many friends, and it was clear no one wanted to be friends with the quiet kid, except for Remus. No matter how quiet I was or how much I ignored him, he continued to talk to me, and a part of me felt a little less lonely. Re’s always been there for me, as a best friend. I may not show it, and he may not either, but when I was feeling the most alone, he was always a call away, a drive away, and most importantly, a hug away. He was my lifeline, and I hope that one day, he can depend on me like that too. Maybe this is the way I repay him for helping me through all the hard times.”

Logan stared at the boy before he sighed, going to grab something from his backpack he had put underneath the bench, “Sometimes I hate empathy.”

Janus tried to hide his grin as he let out a "thanks".

Logan grabbed a notebook filled with blue jellyfish out, turning it until he found the page he wanted.

“Michsleif Uchawi Cancer. Michsleif for the first person who got this disease, uchawi for the swahili.” Logan read off, “Originated here in a man named Jaindien Michsleif in 1950, who was known for his Swahili tongue. Magic, which grows from the heart, houses itself in a spot of our body called the fielsog, located next to our heart. People with inactive magic cannot access anything from the fielsog, unless stimulated with potions. People with active magic can access the fielsog, which then turns into the powers that they have. With Michsleif Uchawi Cancer, the growing magic is not contained in the fielsog because the magic is too powerful. It breaks the barriers and starts to consume the entirety of your body. It’s found in 1 out of 5,000,000 people, so Remus just got unlucky. There are symptoms of fatigue, hunger, weakness, nausea, lower body temperatures, coughing, and more.”

Janus tried to recall the last time he saw Remus genuinely well, and was not able to find something in mind. All he got was the memories of Remus always stealing food from Janus, coughing, layering up, and feeling unwell. Remus had been fighting the illness for a long time without his realizing. Then, it made sense why the mark of death had been on Remus so long, even from when Janus first met him.

Logan turned the page, “Surprisingly enough, while trying to find a cure for Jaindien Michsleif, they noticed the magic contained itself as long as Jaindien was holding onto someone’s hand of an active magic user. Instead, the magic would transfer into the active magic user, causing a power surge in their magic.”

“Oh? Was there anything about him being able to use the magic user’s powers as well?”

Logan paused, staring at Janus before scribbling it down, “That’s a new development. I think that might be Remus’s power himself. Jaindien didn’t have any powers even after doing it, and neither did the others. Well…there was one case where it happened that they would be able to see visions once they were holding someone, but everyone waved it off as the delusions of cancer. It might make sense if they were a seer.”

“Huh, so…you think Remus' power is him being able to use anyone else’s powers he chooses?”

“Well…assuming that he has a normal magic system, yes, I assume he would share powers with a person of his choosing.” Logan shrugged, closing his notebook, “I think what you need to do is instead of trying to find a way to save Remus, is to find someone who can help. Maybe contacting someone who has access to talking to people who have passed away with the disease, or maybe talking to someone who might deal with health issues would be best.”

Janus perked up, snapping his fingers, “You’re so smart.”

“I know.” Logan smirked.

Janus turned towards the statue, bowing, “Thank you, dear statue boy for helping clear my mind and understand where I need to go, and thank you, Logan.”

“Yeah, yeah, stupid sympathy.” Logan crossed his arms with a scowl, going back to his original plain dark blue notebook, filled with thousands of words and thoughts that he had in mind. Janus watched as Logan retreated back into his shell, staring at the statue for some sort of inspiration for his writing.

Janus smiled as he walked away, energized with an idea of where to start. ——————– I feel as if Dukeceit is really not dukeceit in this chapter, but there's nothing i can really do about that T-T

If you enjoyed this, please consider reblogging! Reblogging helps me a lot and are very appreciated. Check out my masterlist for more, feel free to request any writings, and stick around if you want to see the rest of what I have in store for this! :)

[srjlvr]

,, cold coffee in the winter ‘‘

“your taste in coffee is weird”

non-idol!Riki X barista!gn reader

niki never thought he would meet someone that would interest him so much in a coffee shop || genre fluff! || wc 1.3k || lowercase intended.

“you might catch cold if you drink something cold in this cold weather”

after a normal, decent day at school, one of niki’s hobbies is going to a coffee shop, just to study a bit and look at the people that were passing by. he would usually do it alone since there’s nothing he cherish more than some time alone.

he got too busy lately after school so he didn’t get the time to pass by the coffee shop, but not today! as soon as school ended, niki started walking towards his favorite cafe.

the place looked warmed and welcoming, the aroma made everyone feel at home, and although it was a kind of small place, it held a huge place in niki’s heart. the owners of the place are always so nice to niki and they always make sure to give him some extra cookie for him to enjoy his time there, he became a regular costumer already.

although being young, going to this cafe is his favorite thing to do. “what about your parents? should we just adopt you and that’s it?” the owners were a cute old couple, them being so nice to niki always makes him feel better than how he feels at home.

niki opened the door and the bells rang, that was when he saw an unfamiliar figure cleaning some of the tables and going back behind the counter.

“hey! what can i get for you today?” you said. niki looked at you amazed, oh god, you were so pretty, he’s been in this cafe for a year already and never saw you there. “where are…” “oh, you mean the owners, they’re my parents” you giggled. “They asked me to take care of the cafe while they’re away, huge mistake, i’m not that old i don’t think i can manage to do this” you added a bit stressfully.

“oh, i forgot i’m sorry, i’m y/n” you smiled. “niki” he quickly replied.

the cafe isn’t that popular and not a lot of people come in, usually it’s just the regular costumers who already know you. your parents were away for a few days so they thought it’d be okay to let you take care of their place.

“ah! you’re that niki they’re always talking about! it’s nice to finally meet you, my parents won’t stop talking about you” you kept your smile on your face when you realized it’s him. niki awkwardly giggled, he’s not used to too much interaction, especially not with someone as pretty as you.

“i’ll take iced americano” he nervously smiled. “noted! it’ll be ready right away” you smiled as you took his order. he was about to give you the money but you quickly pushed his hand back, “it’s on the house”

niki watched you making his iced americano, he just now saw you and he feels weirdly attracted to you. it never happened to him before, your parents did mention you a lot whenever he came in the cafe but he never thought you’d look that beautiful.

“niki!” you snapped him out of thoughts and handed him his coffee. “it’s yours, enjoy it” you warmly smiled and went back to cleaning the place.

niki took a place in his regular table and continued staring at you throughout the whole time, his homeworks are long forgotten and you were his main interest now.

how do i even start a conversation with them…. he sighed heavily.

as he was about to leave, he made sure to wave you as a goodbye. “thank you for the americano, it was tasty” he smiled. you giggled and nodded, “come back again when you have time!”

niki definitely came back the other day, happily entering the cafe with a wide smile on his face. “hey” is all he said when he saw you. “good afternoon mr.niki, what can i get for you today?” you jokingly said and waited for his response.

“i actually want to ask you for a favor” he suddenly became serious to calm himself down from the nervousness. “uh, your parents once told me we’re the same age, and we might not be studying in the same school but i actually need some help with maths and i was wondering if you could help me because im trying not to fail and-“ “it’s okay niki, i will help you” you smiled.

“wait really?” he stopped thinking for a few seconds, looking at you. “yeah i mean, there aren’t lots of people anyway, i can help you while working” you chuckled.

“thank you thank you thank you, i know we just met yesterday but it feels like i’ve known you for years, your parents talk about you a lot so i studied you a bit” he giggled shyly. “it’s mutual, my parents always talks about you i feel like i know everything about you” you laughed.

“i’ll make you iced americano and we’ll start studying” you nodded and told him to wait at his usual table.

the next few days were the same, niki coming to the cafe as usual, you and him studying and chatting about any random thing you could think of. you could say you found yourself a new interesting person in your life.

today was no different, niki rushed to the cafe as soon as school ended, to his surprise today, he saw your parents as he got in the cafe. “is that niki? look at this boy! a few days we’re away and he’s growing that tall” your parent praised him. “we missed you niki! how have you been?” your parent came up to him and hugged him.

niki roamed his eyes around the cafe but there was no sign of you. he saddened a bit, niki was enjoying your company a lot, you can even say he relied on your company after a long, depressing day in school, only you could bring his mood up.

“is everything okay niki?” your parents noticed his eyes that suddenly saddened. “oh right! you met our y/n!” your parent clapped.

“did y/n come today?” he asked. “where do i need to put the new order that came toda-“ you suddenly showed up and niki immediately hugged you.

“uh…….” you hugged him back and released after niki realized what he did. “sorry i just had a panic attack and you were the first person to show up” he came up with this excuse so fast he was almost so proud of himself. you laughed it off and hugged him again, “i was having a panic attack too now, sorry”

months passed by with the same rountine, you actually stayed in the cafe to help your parents with everything there, and also because that way you and niki could meet on daily basis.

the new day was a small reminder that winter has came, it was raining outside and niki was running his way to the cafe with his umbrella. when he got in, you were already sitting in your usual table, waiting for him.

“over here!” you called him with a smile. “you got a bit wet from the rain” you said as he sat in front of you. you shrugged it off, the cafe ac was on heat so it’ll make him warm up fast. “i got you something else to drink today, not iced americano” you took a sip from your own drink.

he stared at you in disbelief, “wha? i’m looking out for you! you might catch cold if you drink something cold in this cold weather” you rolled your eyes and he giggled.

he slowly took a sip from the hot drink that you chose for him and made a disgusted face, “your taste in coffee is weird”.

“it’s better than drinking americano anyway” you teased him a bit and giggled.

“y/n” he called you out and you looked at him, making eye contact, “let’s stop studying together and go out on a date instead” he looked really serious in your eyes but inside his heart was doing flips flops.

your eyes softened and a small smile appeared on your face, “let’s do that”

© srjlvr , pls don’t copy/translate any of my works without permission ! | reblogs and comments are very appreciated !

[tinaotaku]

Hey could you please make a part two of the fake daughter story please I love it so much

Note: sorry for replying so late! School just started, and I've been sooo busy.

Ending 1. Kill yourself to the sun

Soft sobs could be heard from Muzan as he held a small kimono. All that surrounds him is nothing but corpses and blood. As he could do is to weep as he couldn't hold back his sadness. Bloody tears fall down to the ground, staining the green grasses.

The war was a success, to say the least. Ubuyashiki died, and he devoured Nezuko. He made sure to kill that Hanafuda-earring boy too. He looks at the sunrise before looking back at the kimono.

"I've won the war, but I've lost the battle," Muzan whispered under his breath. Pulling the kimono closer to his face, he buried his face into it, staining the kimono more. "I've won, but at what cost? I've lost everyone. Not even you stayed by my side until the end. Is this what people called karma?"

Receiving no answer, he decided to walk back.

But where is his next destination?

Everyone died, remember? He has no one right now.

Loneliness engulfs him as he watches how lively the world seems now. Yet no matter how hot or rainy the day is, he is not happy.

Someone is missing, and that person is no one other than Kibutsuji (Y/n).

***

A few decades have passed, and it's now 2022. Muzan built a big corporation under his daughter's name, (Y/n) Empire. The corporation focused on selling woman's products. Muzan dedicated his life to making stuff that (Y/n) probably like.

However, it's not a surprise that Kibutsuji Muzan hides his presence from the world. He never showed up in any interview or TV programs because he sees it as a 'nuisance' and a waste of time. Therefore, no one really knows his face.

On the other side, Muzan was spotted walking around the orphanage. He ran his eyes towards a sea of children that looked no more than 10. He saw them as disgusting human beings and asked himself why he went here instead of a nearby cafe. "I found no one interesting. Let's go back," Muzan said to his bodyguards and turned his back. The owner wiped his sweat as he were afraid to offend an important person.

The kids sighed in sadness but soon cheered up. They ran back to the playground and played with each other. Soon, you could hear some waves of laughter and gigglings from the back.

"Go to the usual cafe. I need some coffee," Muzan said as he rubbed his head. He walked to his car until he was stopped by a tiny pull on his pants. The bodyguards didn't realize that a kid had sneaked out and pulled a person!

Before the bodyguards could speak anything, the kid said, "I believe that your handkerchief had fallen, good sr,"

Muzan's headache quickly went away, and his heart beat once more. His fingers trembled, but he looked at his back, just to see a kid around 8 years old wearing a cute dress. Her black hair and black eyes reminded him of someone.

But, who?

Muzan quickly snapped out and took back his handkerchief. "Thank you, kid. Do you mind telling me your name?" Muzan kneeled in front of her as he tried to examine the child better. Starting from her hair, eyes, cheeks, and smile.

Muzan couldn't help but imagine the kid in front of him as someone he missed dearly. His own child that he abandoned for a fake daughter. No matter how much he tried to ignore it, the pain in his chest will always make him remember. It's been decades, yet he couldn't forget the pain. It was his fault, after all.

"Good sir, my name is (Y/n)," The kid said with a smile. Since then, everything is becoming blurry now. Muzan could feel his eyes starting to get teary. All he could see now were (Y/n). After decades of weeping and working, Muzan founded his child! But... it seems like the child in front of him is the reincarnation of Kibutsuji (Y/n). Whatever it is, he's happy now. He wanted his child back, and this is the perfect opportunity!

Blinking his tears away, he offered his hand to her, "Would you like to be my adopted child, (Y/n)?"

[mysticalrambling]

Ending It All Part 1 (C.E)

Part 2

Chris Evans Fan fiction (Fan fiction Masterlist)

Summary: Chris wants to end your marriage and you decide to go along with it. You have to be civil for the sake of the kids but you are hurt. This process is too much for the both of you and eventually, it all ends.

Warnings: Angst all the way. 

._._._._._.

You had seen it coming from a mile. People say that a woman’s sixth sense is her greatest power. You always took pride in it but in this case, it was a curse. Chris and you have known each other for the past seven years and from those years, you were married for five. He was the love of your life. You thought it was forever but apparently you were wrong. You were wrong about so many things.

From the past six months, Chris has been home for a couple of days at most and then he was traveling. Traveling for work, for friends and whatnot. And for the days that he was here, he didn’t look at you like you were his wife, his soulmate. He looked at you like you were a stranger. Spending time with the kids was all he ever did and then came up with measly explanations to go off to bed early. There was no space left for you in his life. You thought that it was just a rough patch but that was not the case.

“(Y/N), we need to talk.” The determined look in his icy blue eyes said it all.

Taking a deep breath, you shakily replied, “Let me just put the kids to sleep.” Your energetic kids had tired out you for the whole day because you were off from work today. Chris had just come back from shooting and he didn’t give you a kiss like he usually did. In fact, he hadn’t kissed you like he meant it for several years now.

“I will be in the kitchen. You want wine?” He was walking away before you could even reply.

“Yeah, sure.” You mumbled out and you didn’t even know that he listened.

“Mommy, we are going to spend the whole day with you and daddy tomorrow?”  Mia and Jace have started to pick up on the fact that there was something going on between their parents. You wanted to keep all of this away from your four and two year old but it seems that you might have failed. You were failing at a lot of things right now.

“Yes, we will. Now, go to sleep.” It took you about half an hour to be put them to sleep and during that time, you were a wreck. There were a thousand possibilities running through your mind.

Coming back downstairs, Chris handed you the glass of wine, your favorite as always. He knew every little detail about you. “(Y/N), I don’t know how to say this but-”

“Before you finish that sentence, I just need to tell you that I promised the kids a day out tomorrow. Don’t ruin it.”

“I- I can’t say that.” Fiddling with his almost empty glass, he couldn’t bring it in himself to look at you. He was going to ruin this promise as well just like he was going to ruin everything.

“Just, go on.” You refilled the wine glass as you knew you needed the alcoholic haze to get through this conversation.

“I can’t do this anymore. This is just not what I want in my life anymore.” Your breath hitched and your heart broke into tiny little pieces.

Exact words were what you needed to hear right now. No vague statements. “What do you mean? What can’t you do?”

“This. This relationship. I think I am done. I am truly sorry, (Y/N).”

“Is- Is there someone else?” It was as if a ball was lodged in your throat and you couldn’t bring yourself to talk coherently. Fluently.

Chris looked at you, horrified. How could you even say that? He would never in a million years even think about cheating on you. Dignity was an important trait for Chris and if he ever cheated, he wouldn’t be able to look at himself. It hurt him that you would even consider this as a reason but he couldn’t blame you.

“No! This is not the reason. Not at all.” A defensive attitude was immediately taken up by your husband.

“Then is it me? Am I not enough for you?” Hot tears rolled down your cheeks but you didn’t have the energy to wipe them out.

“It is not you, darling. I just don’t think this is what I want with my life anymore. I want to solely focus on my career.”

“You are choosing your career over your family.” As the realization started to hit you, you couldn’t control the anger that took over you. “Over your family, Chris?”

“(Y/N) I am just done. I want an out and can we please try to be civil about this?” He pleaded.

“You want me to be civil about this? Fine.” You took a calming breath and closed your eyes for a second. “Just explain it to me. Maybe we can work something out.”

“I can’t- I don’t know how to explain it. Seven months ago I just woke up and I didn’t want to do this anymore. I want to start over.” A shocking chill passed through your body and you realized that it was hurt. You were betrayed.

“So you don’t want to do anything with me or the kids as well?”

“No. I want to be a part of their lives and-”

You looked him in the eyes and spoke in a broken voice, “It’s just me that you want out of your life.”

“Darling, no-” Chris tried to reach out for your hand but you placed them on your hands. He had lost the right to touch you from the moment he said that he didn’t want you. You were just a problem for him that needed to be solved.

There were years when he needed you every step of the way. Chris met you at a party that Scarlett threw. You were her best friend so you were invited to her New Year’s party. The moment he saw you, he was head over heels. He followed you around for two months to get you to go on a date with him. You used to tease him afterwards that he was a love sick puppy. But he was your love sick puppy.

That was not the case now and you didn’t know what you will do if he wasn’t in your life anymore. Your world revolved around your family but now it was all falling apart. You were falling apart.

“We can file for divorce tomorrow. Do you want to stay here tonight?” Wiping your tears, you got up from the stool and put the glasses in the sink.

“Uhh okay, okay. I can stay with Scott tonight.”

This was not what he expected. He expected you to cry, fight, scream. He thought there would be more discussion on this topic. Seven years were going to waste and you were treating this as a simple business transaction. Truth be told, you didn’t want him to see you fall apart. Chris had lost that right. If he didn’t want a life with you, then you were not going to beg him to stay. You were going to fulfill his wish and set him free.

“We have to take the kids out tomorrow. I was thinking the park.”

“What?” He was too distracted by everything to even realize what you were talking about.

“We will talk to them about the divorce tomorrow.”

“Isn’t this going a little too fast?”

“We should get this all over with as soon as possible. Goodbye, Chris.” Silently pecking him on his cheek, you went to your shared bedroom.

The moment your head touched the pillow, you were surrounded by his scent. The dam burst and you couldn’t stop the tears from running down your face and getting soaked up by the cushions. What were you going to do with your life now? You had to come up with a plan to manage the kids together with Chris. You had to think about getting a job that would accommodate your kids in to it now that you were going to be a single parent. You didn’t get a wink of sleep last night and you cried a lot.

On the other hand, Chris was not doing any better. Scott gave him the spare guest room to sleep in. He didn’t know what was going on between his brother and you but he knew it was serious. Chris couldn’t sleep last night either because he was not used to. This was the first time in seven years that you both were in the same city and you were not sleeping together. You wouldn’t be sleeping with him from now on. He has to get used to that idea. The idea of you not being there every step of the way because this was his own doing. He was dreading tomorrow as he was the one who was destroying his family.

“Hi. I was just here to pick you all up.” Guilt washed over him when he noticed your red puffy eyes and eye bags.

“You didn’t have to. We could have come there by ourselves.”

“We always go to the park together. It is our thing.”

“We can’t do all of these things now. Everything is going to change.”

“Right.” You moved towards the kitchen and he followed you like a lost puppy.

“Daddy!” Both kids ran up to him and clinged to his legs like two little monkeys.

“Hey babies.” He held on to them a little bit longer because he knew he was the one who was ruining their little lives.

“Where were you? Missed your pancakes. Mama doesn’t make good.” Mia hadn’t learned to make full sentences yet but Chris understood her perfectly.

“I was busy, baby. I- I-”

“Go get your shoes on. We are going to be late.” You saved him from the conversation because he looked like a deer caught in headlight. Chris couldn’t answer his daughter as this was how it was going to be. He wouldn’t be there for all of this. The important phases. Jace’s first soccer win, his first award, or Mia’s first school day, her first break up, her prom. He was going to miss most of them because you would be there with them while he will get them for weekends mostly.

“Let’s go.” Buckling his kids in, he sat in the driver’s seat. When he pulled out of the garage, his hand instinctively went for yours. It was out of pure instinct. You retracted your hand immediately and Chris just drew in a shaky breath, He was not allowed to touch you now.

“I am taking them to the swings. Do you want to come with?”

“No, I am just going to my usual spot to read my book.” There was a maple tree that had been your spot for the past five years. It was where you rested and caught up with your reading.

“Okay.”

The next hour was spent with Chris going on to every swing with his kids. He didn’t want to miss anything. Plus, he didn’t know how he could sit with you under the tree that held so many memories. You told him that you will marry him under this tree and that you were pregnant with Jace. It was all too much. You couldn’t focus on your reading when this might be the last time you get to see him with your kids. The last time you were together as husband and wife. This might be the last time because Chris wanted you out of his life.

“Hey, kids. We have to talk to you.” You finally gathered up some courage when they all came to sit beside you. Chris couldn’t bring himself to start up this conversation so he was glad that you did.

“Yeah, Mommy?”

“So you know how your friend Oliver’s parents don’t live together but they still love him very much.”

“Yeah.” Jace’s whole concentration was on his ice cream but he still nodded his head to indicate that he was listening. Mia was too young to comprehend it all so you mainly focused on your son.

“Well, Daddy and I are going to be doing the same thing. We love you both very much and we will always there be with you.”

“But Ollie’s daddy doesn’t live with him.” His blue eyes focused on the two of you when he made the statement.

“Yeah, buddy. I will be staying at an apartment really near by. You both can come whenever you want to.”

“You won’t be there to read us night stories or make our favorite brekky?” His question threw Chris off guard and he froze in his place.

“He will be there to do everything for you guys. Mia and you can go to daddy’s place and he can do all this.” You jumped in when you noticed that Chris didn’t know how to respond to all this. “Right, Chris?”

“Yes, that’s right. Nothing is going to change, buddy.” Wiping away his tears, your husband placed him on his lap with Mia.

“Promise?” Mia spoke up this time because she understood that her daddy wouldn’t live with her like he always did.

“Promise. Let’s go back to the house. You both look tired.”

You placed Mia on her bed while Chris did the same for Jace. They both were out the moment they were buckled in their car seats. Coming downstairs, you prepared coffee for Chris and yourself. He always liked his coffee black so that’s what you made for him. The cup was placed in front of him and he sighed because no one made coffee like you.

“Our lawyer said that he will have the papers delivered to us by tomorrow.”

“Okay, I saw this new apartment building when I was coming here this morning. I might rent it out. The penthouse has three rooms. One for the kids and one is the guest bedroom. You can stay there when you bring the kids over.” He looked at you with a defensive position.

“I won’t be staying at your apartment so please don’t take me into consideration.” You didn’t understand why he thought you would ever stay over at his place. You would never subject yourself to that kind of pain.

“But there can be special circumstances and my home will always be open for you, (Y/N). We can still be friends.” He was hoping against all hope that you would agree. He still wanted you in his life.

“I don’t think I can do that. Be friends. There is too much history. Let’s just keep it to the kids right now.” You picked on your nails because you didn’t want to cry like a little girl in front of him. “And I am going to change houses as well so do you want to sell this one?”

“Why do you have to move?” Chris was shocked to hear those words come out of your mouth.

“I can’t live in a house that was meant to be our family house. I just can’t.”

He understood where you were coming from but this house held too many memories. He couldn’t think of another family living here. Some couple living in your master bedroom, some kids running around in your children’s playground, some other family’s picture instead of yours. It was just too much to think about.

“Let’s just keep the house. When the kids grow up, they can have it.”

“Okay. I am tired right now so I am going to bed. I will sign the papers tomorrow and send them over to Scott’s.” You placed the empty mug on the counter and stood in a straight posture. “You want the kids this weekend?”

“Yes, I would like that. Do you want to maybe come with us?” He didn’t know why he was not ready to let you go yet. This was all his doing but he just couldn’t accept it right now.

“Umm no. I think we should settle the kids into this new routine.”

“I guess you are right.”

“Goodbye, Chris. I love you and I will always love you.” You regretted the words that came out of your mouth the instant you said them. You were so stupid but you just couldn’t help yourself. This was probably the last time you ever got to say it.

“I- I love you too, (Y/N). I will always be there for you. Goodbye, darling.” The lump in his throat seemed to grow bigger by the second but he had to say this. Lightly pecking you on the lips, he knew this was the last time he ever got to do this. He left afterwards and you couldn’t help but tear up. The same thing happened with Chris. This was it. Your marriage was over but your love would always be there.

Hope you guys liked it!!

._._._._._.

A/N: I literally cried while writing this fan fiction. This one is particularly close to my heart so please let me know what you think about it. If you want to be added to my tag list, message me. I am also open to requests for this series; requests, blurbs, anything.

P.S: There is a part 2 as well.

Tag list: @kalopsia-flaneur, @justile, @iguessweallcrazyithinktho, @jessyballet , @luckyladycreator2

Like, comment and reblog.

._._._._._.

[incendiobrock]

Pranked You ;) {Colby Brock}

Request: Hello sweetie! I was wondering if you could do a story where the reader and Colby aren't dating YET but there is yah know, chemistry and tension. But one day sam decided to pull a prank on Colby and it involved EVERYONE. So basically he makes it seem like he woke up in a different world or something where stuff is different. For example: him and reader are dating (you can choose whatever other stuff happens, lol) but once Colby figures out the prank, he pulls reader aside. They have a small argument before reader blows off on him, in which he says "I've never wanted to kiss you as badly as I do know" and that's how they admit their feelings! Thank you! And can't wait to see what you write love

A/N: Hi! Thank you so much for your request, sorry for the wait, I have been very busy with school and work. I hope the wait is worth it though! Get ready for a long imagine, I’m pretty sure this is about 3,000 words. I hope you love it! I just realized that I tried to keep this imagine gender neutral but I forgot that I accidentally put some she/her pronouns in it, I’m so sorry!

Warnings: Angsty, Cussing, Mentions of alcohol, implied smut

------------------------------------------------------------

It was just like any other day for you. You woke up around noon because you were exhausted from the day before. Between working, going to college, and trying to keep somewhat of a social life, everyone could see just how worn out you would get day to day. So today you decided to treat yourself with a few extra hours of this beautiful thing called sleep.

Your phone rest on the bedside table and of course checking it and replying to the unread messages was the first step of your morning routine. The first messages you saw were from the group chat that consisted of you, Kat, and Tara. Apparently, while you were sleeping, Tara and Kat had a whole conversation about a girl’s day that they wanted to plan for you three. The last text sent was from Kat and it read, “I can’t wait for y/n to see all these messages in the morning. We planned the best girl’s day while she was probably passed the fuck out in her bed lmao”.

You smiled sending them a text back alerting them that you are indeed alive and down for all the plans they had created. In fact, you would be seeing them later at Sam and Colby’s place for a couple’s dinner/pool/movie date night. Jake would be there as well, and although you were tragically single, you loved all of them to death and hanging out over there was like the most elite sleepovers you would have with your best friends as a child.

A new text appeared on your screen just as you began to emerge from the comfort of your bed sheets, “God finally you’re awake. I’ve been waiting for Kat to tell me you answered her message all morning. I need your help tonight with a prank. Colby is never going to see it coming”

“A prank? I thought you guys didn’t do that anymore...? But I’m in ;)” You sent back. Out of all the trap girls and all the boys, Colby and you got along the best. Ever since you first met, which was years ago at this point, Colby and you have been inseparable. You tried so hard to avoid your feelings for him, in hopes to not develop a crush that ended up ruining your friendship, but Kat picked up on it right away. She told you constantly that she could easily set you up with the beautiful blue-eyed boy, but you insisted that things would happen naturally if there was truly something there between the two of you. And so, you went on, day by day, falling helplessly in love with the sweetest boy you have ever come to know.

Sam sent a message telling you to head over to their place as soon as possible. You swore that you basically lived there already. You were at their house way more than you were at your own. You couldn’t imagine living further than 15 minutes from them. After what felt like a century to Sam, you arrived at the house. Your hand loudly knocking on the big wooden door.

“Hey y/n! How are you?” Kat asked, pulling you into a big hug as she opened the door. You smiled and hugged back at her kind gesture, “I’m good! How are you? Do you know anything about this prank on you know who?” You questioned her. She glared at you, silently telling you to lower your volume. “Y/n! Colby is right upstairs be quiet!” She whispers, laughing at you almost blowing their cover immediately upon arrival.

Kat was quick to take you by the arm and drag you to the theater room where Sam was already sitting on one of the opulent red couches. He greeted you, telling you that he wanted to film your reaction to him telling you what prank you were going to pull. You agreed and sat down on the sofa facing the blonde. “Colby’s taking a nap right now upstairs because he was up super late last night editing one of our Sam and Colby videos. I figured we could use his exhaustion to our advantage and try and prank him that he woke up in some sort of alternate universe. I figured you could go into his room and set up a couple cameras, and I’ll keep two hidden in the living room where me, Kat, Jake, and Tara will be, so we hopefully get his full reaction. I want you to sneak into his bed and like cuddle him or something and when he wakes up, I want you to pretend that you’ve been dating him for a long time now. He is going to be super confused but just try and convince him that it’s true. If he ends up downstairs, we will go along with it too. I really want to see if he will think that it’s real after a while.” Sam explained.

You felt your face burning as your cheeks became a deep shade of red. He couldn’t be serious right? He wanted you to pretend that you were dating Colby? “I- Uh… I don’t know Sam won’t that be a really mean prank?” You tried to play it off, hoping that you didn’t just annihilate all your efforts to keep your feelings hidden. “You guys are like best friends, I don’t think he could be mad at you for such an innocent prank.” Sam replied. You began to feel incredibly flustered at the thought of having to be so affectionate with Colby. The room started to feel like a sauna as the sweat began accumulating all over your body.

Sure, you and Colby had cuddled before, but it was extremely platonic… Plus, it only happened in very specific moments, like last Wednesday after you had a couple of drinks, and everyone was sat watching a movie where he wrapped his arm around you so you could rest your head since it could barely hold itself up. You snapped out of your thoughts quickly realizing that Sam had been waiting on a response from you. You knew Sam was stubborn, he wouldn’t take ‘no’ for an answer. Your eyes met back with his and the only thing you could get yourself to do was slightly nod your head ‘yes’.

“Perfect.” Sam smirked, getting up to turn off the camera and hand it to you so you could set it up in Colby’s room. You already knew that he was thinking about how many points this would score him for a Sam and Colby prank war if it turns out the way he is wanting.

Before you knew it you had made it all the way up into Colby’s room where you had strategically hidden the camera, facing it towards the sleeping boy in his bed. You let out a deep sigh, trying to prepare yourself for what was about to go down. “If this ruins everything for me, I am going to kill you Golbach.” You whispered, knowing the deep sleeper wouldn’t hear a single thing. And so, the prank began.

You took a gentle hold of the silky black sheets and quietly slipped into bed right next to Colby. There was no game plan in your mind, you didn’t even think up a storyline about your fake relationship for once he woke up. You squeezed your eyes shut in fear as you quickly wrapped your body around his, resting your head under his chin as he slept on his back. He twitched slightly, bringing his arm up, lazily holding you back. The breath caught in your throat, this was already hard enough for you and now he is cuddling you back? You glanced up to see his face, his eyelashes were slightly fluttering, and his soft lips had a slight part in them. He was still fast asleep. You decided to try and wake him up by moving around in his arm slightly, hoping the movement would pull him out of his dreams.

“Y/n?” His voice rung through the room, deep and raspy. He sat up slightly, glancing around the dark lair that he called a bedroom, but his arm still remained around your frame. “W-what are you doing here?” He stuttered, visibly confused by the sight of you in his arms.

“What? I can’t cuddle my boyfriend?” You answered, shocked that you could even get those words to come out of your mouth. His eyes widened at your response, pure shock etched into his face. “Boyfriend?” You felt his heart start to race as he replied.

His arm dropped from your body as he delicately pushed himself out of bed. He was now hovering over you as he stood by the bedside table. There was a clear glass with some water sitting on a coaster on the table. His strong hand wrapped around it as he brought it up to his mouth, downing the rest of the water that was in it. You could tell by his body language that he was beyond confused. The glass clinked as he practically dropped it back onto the nightstand.

“Am I dreaming or something? Since when was I your boyfriend?” His eyebrows furrowed as he continued to look at you for some answers. Your heart sunk thinking about how mean of a prank this truly was, at least from your point of view. “Baby… Are you serious? We’ve been together for years now, are you feeling okay?” You said as you threw your legs over the side of the bed, pulling his hand into your own.

Your thumb gently rubbed circles onto the back of his hand, but only for a couple seconds before he pulled it away. “Is this a fucking prank or something?” He asked, irritation evident from his tone. You shook your head ‘no’, it was becoming hard to process words. You knew this was upsetting him, but Sam had you promise to make the prank last for as long as you could.

“I’m sorry- I have to get out of here really quick.” Colby said, making his way out the bedroom door. You said nothing back, hoping that Sam would end the prank for you as Colby made his way down the stairs.

“Hey brother! You’re finally up. Where’s y/n? I thought we were all doing a couples movie night?” Jake interrogated as Colby glanced to see Sam, Kat, and Tara standing over in the kitchen. Colby brought his hand up to his face rubbing his eyes, there’s no way that Jake is saying this too. Colby began to think that he was seriously going crazy. And then everyone else joined in on the conversation. You could hear them loudly as you stayed glued to Colby’s bed.

Sam began to ask if Colby was feeling alright, and you heard Kat say that maybe we should take Colby to the hospital in case he was losing his memory. You felt the panic in Colby rise as he was deflecting everyone’s concern insisting that he wasn’t losing his memory, and that he definitely wasn’t going crazy. He knew for a fact that you two weren’t dating, and none of them could convince him otherwise. “Dude, she’s gonna hear you up there. You’re going to break her heart. You really don’t remember?” Sam pushed.

You finally had enough. You raced out of Colby’s room and rushed down the stairs. You stopped immediately upon entering the kitchen, seeing everybody else still standing there surrounding Colby. The energy switched as they all looked to you, Sam pleading with his eyes for you to keep going. “I’m so sorry Colby, it was just a prank, please don’t be upset.” You couldn’t handle it any longer, the pain on his face was too much for you to bear. You watched as he scoffed back, “I knew it. Fuck you, guys. I’m going back upstairs.”

You felt horrible as you watched him stomp back up to his room, slamming the door shut behind him. Tears stung the back of your eyes, this was all your fault. You excused yourself from the group and somberly made it to Colby’s door. You preceded to place a faint knock on the wood, “Colby? I’m so sorry, can you please open up?” Your voice was so soft, it would’ve been hard for him to hear if he hadn’t already anticipated your arrival. The door swung open as Colby quickly made his way back over to where he previously sat on the couch.

You stayed frozen at the door for a couple seconds, hoping to brace yourself for the angry boy inside. You took hold of the cold metal doorknob, pulling the door shut behind you. You tip-toed your way over to the sofa and took a seat far from Colby. Your mind was running a hundred miles an hour as you tried to concoct a coherent sentence. “What the hell were you thinking? Did you seriously think that I would find this funny?” He spat in your direction.

“It wasn’t my prank, Sam just wanted me to help him out.” You said back, desperately trying to reason with him. He sarcastically laughed, running a hand through his dark hair. “I didn’t ask who’s prank it was y/n.”

You gulped, it felt suffocating in his room. The dark ambiance that normally felt inviting suddenly seemed like your own personal hell. “Colby, I didn’t want to hurt you I swear. I was trying my best to keep everything lighthearted. I could never hurt you.” Your voice was so delicate, it was so hard to speak. The tears were still threating to make an appearance, and that was the last thing you wanted.

“But you did, y/n. That’s the thing. Whether or not you ‘meant’ to hurt me, you did. And everyone else was in on it to. Did you even try and tell Sam that this prank wasn’t a good idea? Did you even think, for a split second, that this was incredibly immature? You were all treating me like I was losing my damn mind, trying to convince me that we were dating when we clearly never were.”

His words hurt, but they were all true. You had never been together, what were you thinking pretending like you were? All to satisfy Sam? To help him get a head start on the prank wars by completely crushing Colby’s heart? He is your best friend for crying out loud. “Look Colby. I never wanted to do this, okay? Did you ever stop and think that maybe I didn’t want to be doing this either? You mean everything to me. Why would I ever purposely hurt you? Especially after everything we have been through. All the ups and downs, the messy breakups, all the fights. I love you so god damn much and I hope you know that I would never, ever, hurt you like that.” By this point the tears were streaming down your face. Your previous spot on the couch was long discarded as you now stood right in front of Colby, praying that he knew you were being serious about not hurting him.

Your eyes searched his for any glimpse of a sign showing that he believed you. His bright blue eyes looked a lot more intimidating than usual. You couldn’t tell what he was thinking, his expression not giving you any clues. Finally, he responded, “Is it wrong that I’ve never wanted to kiss you as badly as I do right now?”

And finally, there was your sign. His eyes no longer looked intimidating. In fact, they had completely changed into something much different, lust. You quickly took a step closer to him as he took a stand right in front of you, placing his strong hands on either side of your face. He roughly pulled you in, causing your lips to crash together with loads of passion. They fit perfectly together, better than you ever imagined them. They worked in sync as the feeling inside of you was igniting a fire. He was so rough, but surprisingly still gentle. Acting as if one wrong move would completely break you. Your lips remained locked as he pushed you backwards, surprising you as your back made contact with his plush bed. He was on top of you, hungrily continuing the kiss.

You both pulled apart abruptly, gasping for air after your heavy make out session. “I guess now’s a good time to let you know that I am absolutely, one hundred percent, in love with you.” You stated, starring deep into his eyes. “Then I guess now’s a good time to tell you that I feel the same.” He responded, bringing you back in for another passionate kiss. You pulled back again, “So, does this mean I can finally see those handcuffs I keep hearing about in action?” You asked him, slightly laughing. “Only if you promise to keep quiet.” He winked back. And that was the start of your amazing, long awaited relationship.

[raineydays411]

Thanks T

 Summary: A dad is supposed to be your rock. Someone you can go to when times are hard. Someone whos supposed to protect you. WHat happens when your dad doesn’t fit the bill, and Tony does?

A/n: Hello yall! So this story hit really close to home for me lmao. It was mentioned that there aren’t any good dad/step dad Tony fics so I hope you like it. Everyone thank @alphaandromedae97 and an anon for this fic. 

Hope yall enjoy!

Your life was complicated. 

How can it not be when Tony “billionaire playboy” Stark is your step dad. 

Yes you read that right, step dad. It’s funny really, turns out he has a thing for waitresses that aren’t interested in him at first. That waitress being your mom.

They met when she was working a shift at the restaurant she works at, and he came in with Avengers. He expected her to fall at their feet like everyone else did, but she just scoffed and asked for their order. Pretty epic. 

Then one long montage later, and they ended up getting married. You were happy for your mom, of course. Deep down, Tony is a good man and you knew he’d do anything for your mom. And he’s always been nice to you, making sure you were okay with him proposing and then you moving upstate with him and your mom. He always made sure you felt included, maybe a little too much. He actually took interest in your life, which you’ll always appreciate. 

But you were a total daddy's girl by heart. You always felt like you had a close relationship with your biological father. He was a good dad, he took you out to movies, went to recitals, and always made sure to take you to the father-daughter dance your school district put on every year. It was your tradition. But after your parents divorced a few years ago, it seemed like he was getting more and more distant from you. He stopped calling as much, would skip out on your days to visit him and when you did visit, he’d lock himself in his office, claiming he had to finish some paperwork. It broke your heart, knowing that a man you were so close with, seems to be detaching himself from your life. But, in his defence he always managed to take you to the father-daughter dance. He always did. No matter how long the both of you went without seeing each other, no matter how long you haven’t spoken, he always made sure to take you. 

That act alone, reassured you that he did still love you. He was just busy. In fact, you were getting ready to go to the final father-daughter dance, as you were going to graduate this year and therefore you would be too old to attend the next year. This year was especially important to you. You wanted this night to be perfect. 

And you were positive your father would pull through as he has the past years.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You were filled with excitement as you tried on multiple different dresses. You always liked this part of getting ready, the dress shopping. 

The confidence you feel when you finally found the right dress. The happy feeling you and your mother had, browsing through the dress shop downtown. Tony offered to buy you a custom designer dress, but you couldn’t accept. This was the shop you’ve been going to since you were a little girl, since you went to your very first dance with your dad. Call it nostalgia or tradition, but you couldn’t shop anywhere else. 

“ Hey ma! I think I found the one.” You shout from the dressing room, finally finding your dress after hours of searching. 

“Come out here and let’s see bug” She replies from where shes seated. You take a deep breath, soothing the wrinkles on the dress and walking outside. Your mother gasps as she see the gown. It was beautiful really. It was a glittery, lilac purple floor length dress with spaghetti straps. And it even had pockets! You were absolutely obsessed. Plus, you could probably use it as a prom dress if you really wanted to.

“Oh baby...you look so beautiful...” You mom says, tearing for the millionth time. 

“Ma, are you crying again?!” You laugh, “ Come on, that's the fifth time you’ve cried since we’ve been in the store!”

She laughs with you, sniffling as she wipes her tears,” I’m sorry, but you’re getting so big, it feels like it was only yesterday we were walking in this shop to get your first dress...and now...” She starts to cry again.

You smile softly, understanding what your mom was saying. You were in kindergarten when you first started attending these meetings, now you’re a senior in highschool. 

“Alright, no more crying. It’s a happy day for you. Has your father called texted you when he was going to come pick you up?” Your mom asked wiping her tears.

You frown, “ No, I haven;’t hear from him since two weeks ago when he said he wanted to get lunch.”

You can see your mom roll her eyes in the mirror, “ Mom he’s just busy. I’m sure he’ll call when he can.”

“Oh sure, I just hate that he doesn’t answer you fast enough.”

“I know ma, but he has work” You argue, “ He calls when he can, and that's okay.”

Your mom sighs, knowing that you were stubborn when it comes to your father. 

“ Well, let’s get this wrapped, Tony wants to get lunch and we need to convince him to get something other than shawarma.” 

You roll your eyes, “ God, what’s with that man and shawarma. It’s like his life line or something”

“I know!”

After the two of you buy the dress, you pick up Tony from the HQ. You loved the drive up there,mainly because of the scenery, but also cause you can see Cap running laps outside.

“Hell my love, hey kiddo” Tony greets switching seats with your mom.

‘Hey T” You greet, smiling at the man. 

“Did you find the dress?” He asks, driving away from his place of work and to a restaurant. 

“Yeah! It’s like the one I told you I wanted. I was surprised it was there to be honest.” You reply, “ Mom practically dehydrated herself shopping though.”

“Oh? How many times did she cry this time? Cause she was crying earlier when she was getting read-- OW! Hey I’m driving” He exclaims as your mom swats his arm.

You giggle at their antics, chest warming with the sight of your mom happy again.

“She cried five times while we were shopping. Five!”

“Five? I didn’t know the human body had that much water.”

The two of you chuckled as your mom made an offended noise.

“I hate that the two of you get on so well.” She pouts, “ And excuse me if I’m a little sad my baby is growing up so fast.”

You tune out the rest of their conversation as your phone buzzes. 

Dad

Hey kid, I’m gonna have to meet you at the school tomorrow. I have a meeting that’s gonna run late.

You

Okay daddy, I’ll see you there <3

You frown, your dad always managed to pick you up from the house. He used to take you to eat before the dance. And he always used to take the day off, devoting his time to you.

“ Uh oh, someone's frowning back there.” Tony remarks, “ What’s wrong kiddo, did a character off that show you like die/”

“Uh no, ma do you think you can drop me off at the dance tomorrow? Dad said he has a late meeting and won’t be able to pick me up.”

Your mother makes eye contact with Tony. They both know how your father has been flaking on you and how it breaks your heart that he does. It makes Tony especially mad because it remind him of his childhood. How his father really didn’t pay attention to him unless he was criticizing  his life choices.

“ Hey y/n, I can drop you off if you want.” Tony offers, “ I really don’t mind.”

You smile, “Thanks T.” 

“No problem kid.”

And with that he pulls into the restaurant parking lot. 

As your family is seated, you take a quick look around the restaurant, wanting to see the reactions of the patrons when they realize Tony Stark is in the building. But as you do, you see a man who looks very familiar. But before you can take a closer look your mom interrupts you.

“Y/n, you know it's rude to stare.”

“Oh sorry mom.” 

So you take a seat and continue with your meal. You tune out your mother and Tony’s conversation as you can’t take your mind off of that man. You take a quick glance back while your parents discuss the dessert menu.

That’s when you realize that the man was your father!

You stand up from the table and make your way towards the man. Surprised to see him there because as far as you know, he’s supposed to be in a meeting right now.

“Daddy?” You ask cautiously. The man tenses up before turning to you.

“Y/n? Honey what are you doing here?” You notice he doesn’t make an attempt to get up and hug you. 

And you also notice the second plate of food across from him and a napkin stained with what looked like lipstick.

“Um, T and Ma wanted to grab dinner.. I thought you were at a meeting?”

“This is a five star restaurant, and you just stopped in?” He asks ignoring your question, “ Of course Stark did..”

You wanted to roll your eyes. Everytime your mother was even close to being happy, your dad always found something wrong with the person she was with. But he seemed to have a strong disliking towards Tony for some reason.

“Um right...So you told me you were in a meeting? That’s why I couldn’t come over after dress shopping?”

“Right! A meeting...I’m currently in right now.” He says quickly looking towards the women's bathroom, “ You should go back to your table hon, my boss is really strict”

“Oh right, sorry” You say dejected, “ I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” your dad says with a soft smile, “ I love you Bug.”

You smile at the nickname your parents gave you, “ I love you too pop.” 

And with that you walk off, back to your mother and Tony. You can see they’re trying to hide the fact that they were watching by covering their face with the dessert menus.

“Oh here you are, we got you a tiramisu” Tony says nonchalantly, pushing the dessert towards you.

“Uh huh” You hummed teasingly, “ Dad says hi by the way.” 

“ Oh does he now?” You mom said not convinced, “ That’s nice of him.”

You hummed, mouthful of cake signaling that you were done with the conversation. Your family finished up their meals and signaled for the check. As you were walking out the restaurant, you turned to say goodbye to your dad, only to see his “boss” was back from the restroom.

Only this boss was a 5′3, brunette bombshell in a tight red dress and having her neck kissed by the man you call your father. 

Your stomach felt sick.

“Oh gross, I really didn’t need to see that.” You mutter catching the attention of Tony who was behind you. 

“See what kid?” He asks following your gaze, “Oh. Yikes is that even allowed? I didn’t know your dad was a vampire.”

You snort, “ Oh god T, that's disgusting.” 

He just laughs and pats your head, “ Come on, lets go before your mom yells at us.”

You smile, but you wondered why your dad didn’t tell you that he was on a date. Or that he was even seeing someone?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thoughts of your fathers secrets where wiped from your brain as you scrambled to get ready for the dance the next day.

Tony surprised you and your mom with a mani-pedi day at 10am and a hair appointment for you at 1pm. After you had to get shoes for your dress at the mall and then be home by 5pm to get your dress and makeup on, take pictures, and then be out the door by 7pm to take pictures with your dad, then finally be at the dance by 8pm when doors open. 

The whole day you were messaging your dad about how excited you are, getting similar replays back. He pays for you shoes and complements your hair. 

Your heart swells as you think about how hard it was in the beginning of the divorce. But your father always tried his best to spend time with you and made sure you knew he loved you.  

It was hard on you at first, but you appreciate that he tried for you. The fact that he’s been taking you to this dance since you were a little girl is proof enough. You were a little sentimental, this was your last dance after all. 

You smiled looking at yourself in the mirror. You looked beautiful in your dress. Your makeup was done to perfection and you had gotten a silk press in your hair. You felt like a princess.  You heard your mom sniffle.

“Mom, again?” You laugh,turning to face her.

“I’m sorry! You just look so beautiful!” she says with a sad smile, “ God, you grew up so fast bug” 

You roll your eyes, but feel the tears spring to your eyes as well, “ Ma! Stop I can’t ruin my make up” 

You both laugh as you fan your eyes

“You ready?” She asks, “ Tony’s waiting for you in the living room.”

You nod, gathering your things and walking out the door. You let your mom walk down the stairs first. You can hear Tony and you assume Happy in the living room. You finally make it down the stairs. It turns out it was Tony, Happy, and Peter Parker. Your mom was chatting with them and they all had their back turned to you. 

“Ahem.” You clear your throat, catching their attention.

You see Peter stiffen as he gazes at you and mutters a soft “Wow”

You blush, what can you say he’s a cutie.

 Happy gives you a comforting smile.

 And Tony?

He has a soft look on his face, “ Jeez kid, you clean up well.” 

You laugh, “ Better than you old man, what's up with the pants?”

He had on Iron Man pj pants.

“Oh hush.” He laughs, “ You look beautiful kiddo.” 

You look down with a grin.

“Oh pose for some pictures!” You mom says excitedly, “ Go Y/n, by your self first and then with me. Then with Tony.”

You sigh, knowing how long it was gonna take.  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Finally after three million pictures, your mom and Tony drove you to the school.

“Okay bug, is your dad here?” Your mom asks looking around at the group. 

“Yeah! He should be inside.” You say kissing your mom goodbye and waving to Tony. You show the ticket and waltz in the gym. 

You smile and wave at classmates and parents. These people you’ve known since you were a child and who knew you. You finally got to the table you always sat at woth your dad. 

It was empty.

You frown and look at your phone.

Me

On my way pop!

It said the message was read.

“He must be on  driving” You think to yourself as you sat at the table.

But then twenty minutes passed. Then an hour. then two

You were still there, waiting for your dad to come. You sent five messages and they all remained unopened. 

You looked around the gym, seeing a few parents looking at you with pity in their eyes. You can barely stand it.

You got up and went to the restroom, trying not to cry. and in the restroom you tried calling you father, but you were sent to voicemail. The you finally got a message. 

Dad

“I’m so sorry bug, I can’t make it to the dance. I have a meeting today. :(”

You felt dejected. Humiliated. 

Your father has rearranged visitation days, skipped out on little crimonied and rectitals you’ve had, but this by far was the most disappointing thing he has done. 

He promised multiple times that he’d be here. Never has he ever skipped out on the dance before.  ANd he knew how important this was to you. Thi was your last dance, and he ruined it. 

You let yourself cry. You sobbed as you realized that your father has been distancing himself from you. That your relationship hasn’t been okay for a while. And you just didn’t want to let go.

You sigh as you realize you’ve been in the restroom for a while. You stand up and look at your face. Despite the red eyes and slightly red nose, your make up was pretty much intact.

“Huh at least my setting spray hasn’t let me down.” You say to your self. After a few mintues of calming down, you walk out of the restroom and bump into a figure. 

“Sorry” you mutter about to pass the person. 

“Gee you took a while in there, I told you not to get that coffee kid.” 

You quickly look up and se Tony.

Dressed in a suit, flowers in hand.

“Hey kid.” He says softly

“what..what are you doing here?” You whisper, tears filling your eyes again.

“Well apparently you need an rent a dad, and I happened to be in the neighborhood.” He jokes, then says, “ I’m sorry your dad didn’t come kiddo, and I know I’m not him, and quite frankly I’m glad I’m not. But I do love you like you’re my own, and well...yeah here I am.”

You stay quiet, looking at Tony in wonder. Touched that he did this for you.

“Of course if you just want to leave then we can just get out of here” He rambles nervously, “ But you gotta tell me kid cause I’m kinda freaking out.”

“Can we get ice cream after?” You ask him

“What?”

“After the dance, we should go get ice cream.” 

“Uh sure?” Tony says, “So what do you usually do at these things?” 

You laugh and steer him to the tables where they have all the activities at. You actually have more fun with him than you had recently wit your dad. Tony is definitely more competitive than your father and treats every game as a challenge. Not like something he’s humoring just for his kid. He celebrates with you instead of telling you to calm down. He chats with the adults, is nice to the kids, and does the goofy dances with you. Seeing Iron Man do the chicken dance is something you didn’t know you needed till now. He managed to turn this horrible night to one of the best ones you’ve had in quite a while. 

Finally the father daughter dance started to signal the end of the dance. Tony bowed dramatically and said in a horrible british accent, “ Lady Y/n?”

You laugh and make your way to the dance floor. You’re both quiet for a bit, snorting at how serious the other dads and their daughters look.

“Hey T?” You say softly, looking at the ground.

“Yeah kid?” 

“Thank you. It’s nice to know that one of my dad's isn’t a total asshole.” You say. knowing that this is the first time you referred to Tony as your dad.

His eyes get misty as he clears his throat,

“Anytime, bug”

[katsukikitten]

Part one. Master list for plus one can be found here.

Just a nice fic I decided to write for fun. Please enjoy!

Asshole!

He was nothing but a huge, giant fucking ASSHOLE for the entire two years the two of you were dating and he decides NOW is a good time to break up with you?

Two days before your cousin's wedding and over TEXT MESSAGE?!

That fucking asshole.

He knew how you felt. Exactly how you felt about going alone to your cousin's wedding after your family begged to meet your boyfriend and teased you for "probably making him up." Which hell, he may as well have been made up considering how absent he was in the relationship. Using work as an excuse to come home late but forgetting to turn off his snap location when he showed up at the bar.

So you did what any rational woman in her upper twenties would do.

You drowned your sorrows in booze, tonight red wine as it was the only thing around, and you scrolled through your socials in hopes of distracting yourself from your suffering.

Alas the devil that is Instagram only amplified your sadness and irritation. Showing couple after couple, your friends on hikes kissing on the mountain top, kissing in the flickering light of candles at a fancy dinner or, worst yet, getting proposed to. The video showing her in hysterics screaming, "YES I DO I DO!"

And it feels terrible to feel this way. Especially about your friends, the people you love and want to support, still it stings. You hadn't told anyone about the breakup, you weren't even sure your friends even remembered that asshole's name.

A teardrop lands on your screen, magnifying all the magical lights of the led beneath the glad. You wipe away the tear and with that the feed refreshes. A new post has come in at the top, Res Riot's official account.

Kirishima stands with a fat white cat in his arms. He dwarfs the animal with his large stature that looks larger as he still has his Red Riot gear on. The caption reads something along the lines of "missed my precious baby."

Red wine is a dangerous thing as your body acts on its own. You go to his page to hit the little arrow to DM him. Typing out and backspacing your message as you struggle from the booze, you decide to say fuck it and use the voice memo feature. Before you know it your sniffling voice is playing back to you after you've hit send.

"My ex broke up with me before this stupid wedding. It's in two days and my family is going to roast me big time when I show up alone. They think I made that asshole up. I don't know why I'm even in your dms. Your account is probably run by some dick head who can't even capture your kindness. I guess I'm here cause my first thought seeing you on my timeline was Red Riot has always been my hero…"

Ugh totally fucking cringe.

There is no surprise as you see the three normally ominous dots pop up, probably his social media manager about to ask you to stop your "advances" as Kirishima is too busy to date and he'd hate to block you or some other bullshit.

But there it is a surprise to see a little bubble with the play button and some vertical lines in various heights. It takes your sluggish brain a moment to realize you've been sent a voice memo. Odd. Your thumb smashes the screen faster than you can think and a deep voice rumbles through the speakers of your phone.

"Actually I run my official and personal socials. And I'm sorry to hear about your ex doll. He sounds like a real ass. I'll be your hero, I'll go with you to the wedding."

Your heart stutters, no way, no way in HELL this was Red Riot. You had read about the horror stories before or pervy account managers taking advantage of women who so desperately wanted to talk to their hero.

Hell, it's happened to Dynamight plenty of times.

You swallow quickly but the bile rushes up your throat. Not just from the anxiety of a possible con but from drinking an entire bottle of wine with nothing on your stomach after months of sobriety. Quickly you stumble to the bathroom, abandoning your phone on your bed. You barely make it in time to praise the porcelain Gods before you fall onto your back. Looking up at the light in your cramped bathroom, the orb doubles and spins as you feel the Earth turning on its axis. You curl into your side using your bathmat as a pillow as you drift off into sleep, totally forgetting about the voice memo on your phone.

As you sleep peacefully on your memory foam bath rug, Kirishima settles into his nightly routine. One giant hand grabbing strands of long dark red hair into a towel while another sits snugly around his Adonis belt and the thick, black happy trail that follows up the center of his abs before spreading out onto his chest. He tosses the towel over the open door of the bathroom before sitting in his favorite armchair with phone in hand. Diamond, his beautiful white cat he rescued a few years ago, jumps onto the arm of the chair, purring loudly when Kirishima's free hand scratches her ears absentmindedly.

He chuckles to himself as he realizes exactly what he's done. Acting on a feeling instead of logic all because he heard a "damsel in distress." Starting off his rare vacation with spontaneity starting with an impromptu date with a stranger. He really isn't sure what you look like and it's obvious your handle doesn't have your real name in it, just PrincessPeach with some random numbers at the end. He takes the time to scroll through your profile. Seeing pictures of food, of many sunsets, a friend's dog that guest appears often, your own cat and plenty of strays.

It takes him a while before he sees a photo of you. His heart stutters in his chest as he looks you over. Laughing with a friend, soft lighting from strings over head that blur like little fireflies. Your smile is wide, half hidden by your hands as your eyes seem to smile with you. Sparkling as if they held stars.

For a moment Kirishima forgets how to breathe, it isn't until Diamond jumps down from the armchair does he inhale. He smiles softly to himself before he drops his towel, puts his phone on charge and promptly falls asleep in his bed.

Kirishima rises before the sun even has a chance to filter through his blinds. He sighs softly, getting up to a sitting position disturbing a fluffy white ball that lays beside him.

"Mmrow." Moon stone eyes blink slowly as they look at the mountainous man hogging the bed.

"I didn't mean to wake you sweet baby." He says softly, going to pet the soft white fur only for her to get up stretch and give him her butt before plopping back down.

"I know, mean ol' daddy woke you up too early again." He says softly, his hand falling onto her back before he rises from the bed. Fishing for his running shorts, socks, headphones and shoes. He makes his protein shake, leaning on the counter as he drinks it, looking at how you read, or better yet, listened to his message but still no reply. It was late and there was a small slurring of your words, he figures you've passed out. He just hopes you're okay.

His run goes as usual, up before anyone else unless they were the normal avid runner. Passing by the usual array of people. An old man holding onto his youth by jogging through his daily five mile morning run, Kirishima knows he runs another five in the evening while the sun is setting. He hopes he can embody some of this man's commitment when he is older. Then he passes a middle aged woman, who gives him the biggest smile as she pases, jogging backward to send him a wink before plowing ahead. Occasionally he'll see a running group or a few teens training to be heroes, they always ask if they can run his route. "It's long." He always warns in a kind, warm voice. They assure him they will be fine so far only one other person could handle his 12 mile morning run. A young woman in her second year of hero courses at UA. Since then Kirishima put in a word with his boss and so every time internships roll around she's in the office.

By the time Kirishima is rounding back towards his high rise apartment, the city begins to stir. Slowly waking as men and women in business suits rush towards the train, parents flinging open the doors or curtains fussing at their children who cling to an extra few minutes of sleep before school.

This was always his favorite part of the run, not because it was almost over, oh no it was because he had a chance to glimpse at everyday life. Of nine to fives, of school hours and after school hangs outs at snack bars or the library.

What most would call the mundane but Kirishima would never call it that. It's why he worked so hard to protect it.

Diamond greets his sweaty form at the door. Glaring angrily with her moon stone eyes. Tail swishing before she goes to the kitchen by her bowl. Waiting impatiently.

"I'm not late, sweet cheeks." He coos, and she glares, "I know I know. You're hungry now."

He opens the fridge, gets out the highest quality food there is and places it on her dish, sure to keep it all in the middle or she'll claim her bowl was empty. He added a splash of water too since the weather was starting to get hot.

He sucks down a water or two, demolishes a protein bar and then heads to the apartment gym.

A few hours roll by and without hearing from you yet his worry over your well being begins to cloud the forefront of his mind. He pauses his music, picks up his phone and talks out a voice memo.

A loud DING echoes from your room and around your skull as you rise with a throbbing headache.

"Fuck." You hiss to yourself grabbing at your head as you shakily rise to your feet. Yanking the handle of the faucet to drink from the stream before looking at yourself in the mirror.

"Ugh." You grunt ignoring your swollen face and eyes, yanking the mirror door open to snatch at the bottle of aspirin. Swallowing THREE extra strength pills before slamming the door shut and turning off the faucet. You make your way towards your bedroom, more than ready to sleep the rest of your day away. Grabbing at your phone to charge it you see the push notification of an Instagram message from Red Riot.

The fucking Red Riot.

Internally you scream before it bubbles up your throat and escapes. You fumble to unlock your phone before looking that it's a voice memo.

Mortified you realize you sent one too. And first at that.

"Fuck MEEE!" You plop onto the bed. Nervous this second voice memo is probably about how you're a weirdo or something as you relive the memory of asking him to be your plus one.

Hesitantly your thumb hovers over the play button before you find the strength to press the cool glass. A soft thunderous voice plays out.

"Good morning sleepy head. I haven't heard from you yet, I hope you're okay. Be sure to drink some water and eat something greasy. Trust me, late nights with Denki and Bakugou taught me something. Since the wedding is tomorrow I'll need a picture of your dress for the color and style so I can match you Sweet pea. Contact me soon so I can know where to pick you up."

Did he… did he just call you SWEET PEA? Your heart pounds in your chest before it registers he's asked for your dress color and lowkey asked for your address. This couldn't be real. It sounded like Kirishima, his voice familiar from interviews you've watched but it very well could be a prank. Defeated you hit the small microphone and reply.

Kirishima hears a sharp DING in his headphones over his music as he finishes his set. He wipes the sweat from his face on his shirt giving the few people in the gym a lovely view of his sweaty and thick torso. One woman trips on the treadmill but it goes unnoticed by Kirishima. He pauses his music and hits play on the little memo. Your beautiful yet groggy voice comes in through his ear buds causing Kirishima to bite his lip. It causes such a flutter of butterflies in his stomach he has to listen a second time to actually hear what you said. Although he understand, he cannot help but feel hurt by your reply.

"How do I know you're not just some pervy guy using Kirishima's Godly looks to prey on unsuspecting people."

Your phone chirps at you from the bed stand and you growl reaching for it. You had hoped your message would have been clear. An unspoken of you know they're a fucking creep taking advantage of their PR job.

"What can I do to prove it to you, Sweet Pea?"

You hate how that cute nickname sends your heart into a somersault and your stomach in delightful knots. Still your doubt pulls a harsh tut from your lips before you reply.

Kirishima doesn't need his phone to alert him that you've messaged him, he's been looking at his screen for far to long without having to restart his set. He listens to your voice as if it were music.

"Fine, you wanna prove it to me so bad. Take a picture of yourself shirtless with the word 'Sweet pea' you love so much and send it to me. No photoshop I know what my favorite hero looks like!"

For over an hour you don't hear back and you figure you showed that perv.

But now you can't sleep so you nurse a water, door dash a "greasy" breakfast all before cranking your shower as high as it can go. Your phone dings and you try to ignore it. You really do but as the saying goes curiosity killed the cat. Opening the message you see a classic guy mirror selfie. Kirishima is clear as day in the photo, his large hand pointing to his bare, hairy chest where sweat pea is scrawled in his adorable handwriting. He winks at the camera as his kissable lips wear a dangerous, almost cocky eyes travel down his bulk following his happy trail that dives under a pair of black shorts, the best part of the view getting cut off by the vanity. At first you try to rationalize that this was fake but damning evidence was sitting on the vanity. A fluffy white cat in a diamond and ruby encrusted collar sits on the counter giving her owner an odd look.

His cat Diamond that everyone knows he loves and adores. Slick begins to collect between your thighs and especially so after you listen to the voice memo that comes through shortly after. His normally friendly and soft voice comes out a bit dark, husky as he says in a playfully annoyed tone.

"Now send me a picture of that dress, Sweet Pea."

[holy-hyuck]

NCT Dream Reaction: They See You Wearing Their Clothes

warning: there’s like a swear word or two in jaemin’s

by the way, would you guys want me to add shotaro and sungchan as a bonus into these since they’re not in a permanent unit yet?

also no, i absolutely do not have a crush on jaemin, what are you talking about?

Mark

It was so cold, so unbelievably cold in Mark’s apartment. You told him to fix the heating but he’s been too busy binging Netflix to bother. Shivering in your thin tee, you rummaged through Mark’s closet for something warm to wear. If he wasn’t going to get the heating sorted, you were going to steal every last one of his hoodies until he had no other choice.

Throwing the black, oversized hoodie over your head, you made your way downstairs and plopped on the couch beside him, making him turn his attention away from the TV screen and towards you.

“Is that my- Is that my hoodie?”

“Yes, it is. Actually, it’s now mine, at least until you get the heating fixed.” You crossed your arms over your chest and raised an eyebrow at your boyfriend.

Laughing, he threw his arms around you and started mumbling into your neck.

“Gosh, you’re so cute, you have no idea.”

You let out a whine, surrendering. This was not how this was supposed to go.

Renjun

You stayed over at the Dreamies’ dorm with the intent of catching up with them since their busy schedule meant you barely saw them - especially your boyfriend. A sleepover and a movie night seemed like a great idea.

The boys already had a table stacked with snacks and drinks.

You made the awful decision of wearing denim shorts, which meant twisting and turning for the first thirty minutes of the first movie Jeno picked until he had to go to the toilet and you paused it.

“Are you okay?” Jaemin asked, seeing your discomfort.

You shook your head, looking over at your boyfriend. “Do you have anything comfortable I could wear?” you asked, a puppy-like look on your face (or at least an attempted one), and he obliged, bringing you a pair of his sweatpants.

Once Jeno exited the toilet, you changed into your boyfriend’s clothes, coming back into the living room. Upon seeing you, Renjun burst into laughter, the already slightly baggy (on him) sweatpants completely drowning out your legs so it looked like you were wearing a trash bag over them.

“Y-You l-look great-”

He managed between laughs, covering his face, his head falling back into the couch cushions as he nearly fell on Jaemin. He was hoping his hand also covered his blush because - although he wasn’t sure what exactly it was - something about you wearing his clothes made him feel fuzzy inside and he hoped to see you in them again - just maybe in different circumstances.

Jeno

Out on the beach with your friends was the best way you could think of to spend the last weekend off before school. You sat on the sand, watching Yeri and Jaemin splash each other with water, their swimming suits soaked. They've been at it for the past fifteen minutes, and it all started because Jaemin drank one espresso too much and threw Yeri into the water.

You sat next to Jeno, both of you watching your friends laugh, and next to him sat Renjun, who typed on his phone like his life depended on it. You and Jeno didn't speak much; you were a bit awkward around each other, you'll admit, but that's only because two months ago, you kissed during a game of spin the bottle, and it was a little more heated than you would like, and now maybe, just maybe, you've developed a crush on the black-haired boy.

It was weird - you've known him for three years, and never looked at him that way. Only after the kiss, you started seeing him as this handsome guy with crescent-shaped eyes when he smiled, and not just a friend who wasn't ugly.

Your two friends finally got out of the water, making their way to their towels and drying themselves off. You shivered, the evening weather finally catching up to you. Wrapping your arms around yourself, you rubbed the skin harshly, hoping to generate some heat, and hoping you'll be making your way back home soon.

Renjun noticed this and shoved Jeno with his elbow, gesturing to you. When Jeno gave him a confused look, he rolled his eyes and started tugging on Jeno's jacket in an attempt to take it off. They had a little fight to the right of you, but you were none the wiser and ignored them until Jeno cleared his throat. You looked in his direction to see him taking off his jacket and draping it across your shoulders before giving you a small smile.

"You looked like you needed it."

You smiled at him. "Thank you." Both of you looked at the sand beneath your feet, heat rising to your cheeks.

To your left, Jaemin and Yeri exchanged a look and simultaneously rolled their eyes. You were both so goddamn oblivious.

Haechan / Donghyuck

You clipped your hair back with the lonely bobby pin in your pocket, pulling the jacket around you tighter to brace yourself for the ruthless winds outside. Exiting the shop with Donghyuck by your side, you picked up your pace to make it home before it became any colder or windier - which it did, a minute into your journey.

The wind made your eyes water and you shrunk yourself, head down, ignoring your boyfriend, who began failing to catch up to you.

Suddenly, you felt something warm wrap around your neck and turned around to find your boyfriend securing his scarf around it, unzipping your jacket to tuck it underneath, then zipping it back up. It left his neck exposed due to the low-cut t-shirt he wore under his leather jacket, and you frowned at the sight of it, opening your mouth to protest before he interrupted you.

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll be fine. You look like you need it more than me.”

Wrapping his arm around you, thus offering you even more of his body’s warmth, he led you towards his apartment, where he made you hot cocoa and cuddled you until you felt warm again.

You still didn’t take off his scarf, and he never asked for it back.

Jaemin

Maybe you didn't remember much from last night, however, when you woke up with a white, oversized denim jacket hanging from your desk chair, you were reminded of Jaemin - a loud and charming boy from one of your classes - lending you the covering after he walked you home after one too many drinks. In your defence, you bet with your friend that you could handle more shots than her, and won (the vomiting-in-the-garden part doesn't matter).

You got ready and rushed into your lecture hall, sitting somewhere in the middle and eyeing the students to spot the black-haired boy. When you managed to finally do so, he was already talking to one of his best friends, and the professor had started the lecture.

At the end of the lecture, you went up to Jaemin, who again, had busied himself talking to his friend. But when the other boy, Lee Jeno, saw you, he slapped Jaemin across the chest to get his attention.

Finally, Jaemin turned to you, taking a second or two to take in your appearance, his denim jacket hanging loosely on your shoulders. He almost laughed, his smile getting bigger than you've ever seen it. In the background, Jeno was laughing his ass off at Jaemin's reaction.

You cleared your throat. "Sorry, I just saw it on my chair today. It's yours right?" You took the jacket off of you and handed it to him once the boy nodded his head. "Thanks for last night, I don't know how I've survived but you certainly made it easier. Anyway, I'll see you later. You too, Jeno."

The older boy waved his hand at you and walked to Jaemin as the two of them watched you leave. "They looked good, huh?"

Jaemin looked to Jeno and smiled. "Fucking gorgeous."

Chenle

You may or may not have gotten too comfortable during your last few weeks of university, wearing sweatpants and a hoodie every day around your house, only swapping out the bottoms for a pair of jeans when going out. Honestly, you couldn't even remember the last time you put any effort into your appearance.

However, the dreadful day came when you had to meet Chenle's friends. You weren't dating for long, only a couple of weeks at most, so you felt the need to impress both them and your boyfriend. Thankfully, the plan to go to an amusement park were cancelled and swapped out for a movie night, so you felt okay with throwing on a hoodie and calling it a day. Spotting a bright blue coloured one in the corner of your bed, and realising it's Chenle's, you quickly pulled it over your head and rushed out of your house after realising you were late.

You were shaking the whole way to Jisung's house, hoping to calm down by the time you got there. He graciously let you inside and introduced you to two other guys and a girl, and you hoped they would spare you the embarrassment of wiping their hands after touching your sweaty palm.

"I like your hoodie," the girl said.

"Oh, thank you. It's Chenle's, actually," you replied after a beat. "Um, where is he?" You looked around, unable to spot the blond boy.

Suddenly, you heard a high-pitched scream coming from your right, an exclamation of "cute!" yelled your way, right before being tackled to the ground by the man-child in question. He pulled the hood over your head and grinned down at you.

"I'm guessing you like it?"

Jisung

Grabbing a book off Jisung's bedside table, you plopped on his bed with nothing but his thick, blue robe on. Admittedly, it was warm and cosy; definitely something you would have to steal. You skimmed through some of the pages of the history textbook before becoming bored and chucking it next to you.

Standing up from the mattress, you wandered around his room, waiting until he finished his shower.

"Hey, have you seen my-" Jisung came out of the bathroom, holding a towel to his chest, "-robe?"

He sighed, looking at you in his garment as you smiled like the Cheshire cat.

"Can I have that back?"

You skidded across the room to stand in front of him, going on your tip-toes and giving him a peck on the lips. "Nope."

Jisung shook his head at your antics before going to change into some clothes.

[en-hale-archives]

Me with You ~~

pairing ⑅ bestfriend!Jake x fem!reader

genre ⑅ friends to lovers, fluff, slow dancing, suggestive/smut

words/read time ⑅ 3.9k/12-19 mins

warnings ⑅ 18+ content, light cussing

synopsis ⑅ Jake is back in his hometown to spend time with his closest friend. During some fun and frivolous dancing, things start to heat up...

author's note ⑅ I’m really proud of how this story turned out. I'm not a huge fan of second person, so I wrote in first, but if anyone asks, I can copy and post again in second person. It's more fluff than anything, but it does get a bit steamier towards the end, so I’m just going to go ahead and put a warning.

————✧————

When the back door finally slammed shut and the cacophony of barks faded down the street, I could finally let out my sigh of relief that I had been holding in since this morning. I tapped on my phone. How many days had we been watching Mrs. Chen’s pets? And just how was I able to put up with hours of barking, the smell of fresh turd lying across the lawn, and dog walks till dark? Including their rigorous feeding times and bathroom breaks -- I’m surprised I haven’t exploded yet.

I had so much planned the minute they left my house, but instead, the sudden silence felt all too relaxing and I laid my head against the cold countertop. I could finally stop stressing, stop thinking, and stop worrying about reprimanding for chewing on my shoes or peeing in the house or the continued barking that never ended. I was free. I felt like I could’ve stayed laid on the countertop forever, drowning in the evening sun. Who knew watching five dogs would take such a burden out of a person. Jake and I had taken on the job of dog sitting for Mrs. Chen while she visited some family in Tokyo. We both switched off every other day; some of the dogs at my house and the others at his; until we realized it would be easier if he just spent the few days at my house as we co-doggy sat. He got up bright and early to take them on their walks while I prepared their highly detailed and specific meals. Then from there, we spent the rest of the day making sure they didn’t run off somewhere or cause too much destruction in the house. But alas, Mrs. Chen came back early from her getaway and picked up Toby, Caleb, Khao, Sofia, and Pickle on her way home. Although I was exhausted from watching 3-foot dogs all day, the pay was amazing for me, and it would help tremendously for all the online classes I was going to be taking next semester.

The warmth of the sun cast a comforting trance over my heavy eyelids, and soon enough I was fast asleep, standing in the middle of the kitchen with the soft sound of nothing surrounding me.

By the time I had fluttered my eyes open, I had realized I was now seated in my dining chair and a large black jacket was placed over my shoulders. I sat up and let out a yawn, wincing at the bright light coming from the tv and shaking my now numb arm awake. I must have been sleeping for a while because the evening sun had turned to pitch of black. The moonlight beamed through the window and danced along with the sways of the large oak tree out front. I stood up and walked over to the refrigerator in which I grabbed two water bottles and some leftover pasta.

I was sure that Jake hadn’t eaten since lunch, seeing as he only ate if someone sat food in front of his face. I dragged my feet up the stairs until I heard the slamming of a book and the fast typing of a keyboard come from the living room. I turned and looked behind me. Jake had settled his things on the coffee table and floor, large books, folders, and several amounts of crumpled up pieces of paper found their way around Jake, himself slouched up against the edge of the couch. He had changed clothes since the last time I had seen him, he now wore a plain blue shirt with grey sweats, his eyebrows furrowed as he worked hard on whatever he was getting at.

“Oh yes, I was starving!” Propping himself up on the couch, he took the plate of pasta. I placed the waters on the coffee table and settled comfortably on the couch beside him.

“I can’t say that I’ve ever seen anybody sleep standing up before. Look,” Jake took his phone off the charger. “I got a picture.” He pushed the screen in my face, and of course, there was my unconscious body laying on the counter, mouth open and all. I playfully pushed it back his way as his face lit up with a smile I was all too familiar with.

“What are you doing down here so late, it’s almost 12 in the morning,” I asked. Jake’s smile disappeared when he was reminded of the work he had been doing seconds before.

He let out a large huff of air. “Trying to get some words on paper but instead it turned into a paper massacre,” he jokingly replied, “sorry for the mess.”

“Don’t worry about it,” I replied, taking a swig of water. I was going to ask if he wanted to watch a late-night movie, or pull an all-nighter and talk endlessly until the sun rose, but I could tell by each passing second that Jake was worried about this, and he wanted the time he had now over the summer to work on his music. I wished I was motivated to work on my own music, but unlike Jake, I wasn’t in a globally popular boy band. My complicated best friend for over 10 years had been working his butt off since middle school. It was his annual time to sit back and relax while he had the time to, but instead, he chose to use that time to help watch a bunch of dogs with his hometown bestie. God, I loved him.

Jake pulled himself off the couch and right back onto the floor, leaving the rest of the pasta to me. He picked up his pen again and started scribbling down words as quickly as he could, trying hard not to forget the lyrics that had floated into his head. Until he stopped, closing his eyes for just a split second, and let out a powerful sigh. Crumpling up the sheet, he stacks it on top of the others in frustration and started frantically tapping his pencil against the table.

“Maybe it’s best to just try again in the morning,” I advised, taking a small bite of the pasta that was left by my side.

“How come I’m having such a hard time with this?” He gazed up at me frantically for a clue, as if I had the answer to fix a problem as big and as important as his was. I looked at his doleful eyes and the bags that were starting to grow underneath them. I couldn’t help but think, because I made you sit up and watch a bunch of dogs with me.

“Do you want me to see if I could come up with something?”

“If you want. But, hold on, I think my thoughts are coming back up.” He quickly grabbed another piece of paper, his eyes narrowed in concentration.

I tried my best to keep occupied by watching videos on my phone, but I found myself suddenly bored out of my mind. I laid out on my back and picked up one of Jake’s folders. Briefly looking through it, I couldn’t help but feel a bit jealous at the amount of fan art and letters, praising him and the other members. Followed with that were just more and more engene stuff, full of nothing but kind words and heartfelt messages. Part of me wished that I was able to travel with Jake and see the world like he was. How fun would it be to meet people that praised you? And how cool would it be to see that you had fans? I couldn’t help but plaster on a huge smile as I skimmed through some of the notes until I finally came to one with familiar handwriting.

Remember Me were the words written on the top of the paper in bold and bright colors. But the message written underneath is what caught my attention:

To the person that makes me the luckiest guy in the world, this song is for you. It’s okay if you don’t feel the same, but please just remember me -- it was Jake’s handwriting.

I didn’t feel like I was breaking any crime reading his stuff until this moment, but curiosity killed the cat, and right now I didn’t mind being a feline. I checked to make sure Jake was still busy, and he was, almost like he had teleported into his own world. I quietly turned back to the sheet and started reading. It was about a girl, presumably his crush I’m sure. She was someone important to him, someone who made him love so much that it hurt. But this was far from a happy song, in fact, it was terribly heartbreaking. She didn’t understand his love, she wasn’t able to interpret it like he wanted her to. But he confesses that he was scared of what telling her would do, worried that she wouldn’t feel the same. So instead, it was like he was apologizing, and asking that she forgive him for not being brave enough to tell her, and if he did ever get the courage to, for her to remember him even if she wasn’t able to love him like he wanted her to.

The song ends like how the title began, and I find myself flabbergasted at the beautiful mixes of rhymes and metaphors that read like a poem. This was the first of Jake’s songs that made me feel this way, like I had just finished watching a tragedy movie with Ryan Renolds starring. I blink back the tears that I didn’t realize were forming. How come he never told me this? We never kept secrets from each other, like ever. It never mattered the subject or the severity, we had always promised that we would be open and honest with each other. I wish I would’ve known this sooner, maybe I could’ve saved him from feeling this way. And what girl could it possibly be? I knew for sure I was the only girl he was presumably close to; but was there someone else?

I glanced down at Jake, who was still in a focused state of mind with the pencil in his mouth and mumbling lyrics softly under his breath. I tried picturing my bubbly Jake writing these agonizing words and miserably failed.

Jake looked up at me as if he could feel my gaze on the back of his head. “I think I’ve found the chorus, but it’s the rest of the song I’m not able to get, and how come it’s so hard to find another word that rhymes with severe? Beer? Sphere? Revere? Appear? Gosh, rhyming sucks some serious ass!”

“This song is beautiful.”

Jake furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. “Huh?”

“This song I found in your folder.” I glanced back at it in my hand. “Remember Me.”

Jake’s gaze leaped from my eyes to the sheet, and I felt his body tense. “Where’d you get that from?”

“I was just going through one of your folders. Did you accidentally get it mixed up in your fan folder? Cause this is -”

“Did you read it?” He interrupted.

“Yeah, and it’s perfect.”

Jake glanced at me for a split second before turning back around, obviously uncomfortable. “I was watching one of those Kdramas you love so much and it inspired me. Could you help me rhyme with severe now?”

I knew Jake like the back of my hand, so I knew continuing on with this conversation would get him upset if he’s clearly avoiding it. But, I wasn’t going to just let him off that quickly. “Jake, come on, you can tell me anything. Who is this about?”

Jake looked back at me with a hint of something in his eyes, something I’ve never seen before, and something I wasn't able to decipher. “Nobody, I was just feeling really inspired, that's it.” His tone had switched from calm to agitated.

I give him my I’m-not-stupid look and he comes back with his own you’re-being-delusional stare. “It’s seriously nobody, truthfully and honestly.”

“Okay, okay I’ll back off.” I could tell he was starting to get defensive, and when he got like that, it took him at least a few hours before returning to normal. I watched Jake's Adam's apple move up and down, a way in which I could tell he knew I was not convinced in the slightest. “Well, sometimes we go through things that can remind us of situations like that, but not necessarily in that same exact context, you know? It has to be amplified for that audience appeal.”

“Okay...but have you ever felt this way before? Not exactly like how it’s written, but maybe somewhere along these lines?”

I thought I was going to get another vague answer, or worse, an aggravated one. But instead Jake looked down at his pencil as he tapped it along his wrist. “...maybe, but I think everyone can connect to the words in some way. I mean, everyone feels some kind of heartbreak in their life, right?” Jake's answer was still pretty vague, but at least I was able to get something out of him.

“Okay, but you know you can tell me anything, like, anything ever because you know that you’ll never actually have to feel this way, right?” I said, maybe too much in a hurry.

“Of course I know that.” He replied, giving one of his awkward grins.

“And if anyone has made you feel this way, then you know you can tell me that too cause there a sucker to lose out on a perfect person like you.” I teased in a sing-song way, poking his shoulder hard. Jake chuckled and poked me back.

A weird silence grew in the room, and Jake went back to trying to find rhyming words. I tried getting back on my phone, but I knew I needed to say something to let go of the tenseness in the air.

“Hey, crystal clear rhymes!”

He leaned his head back and looked up at me. “Nevermind, I give up for tonight.”

I could see the stress that played on his face. “Don’t worry, you’ll figure it out.”

“Yeah, but by the time I do, it’ll be too late.”

“What do you mean?”

Jake pulled his knees up to his chest and spoke. “This was going to go on our album comeback that needs to be finished in the next four months. By the time I think of something, it'll be too late and I’ll have to wait until the next four months. But by then, I'll have forgotten. This always happens and I have no idea how the hell to fix it.” I couldn’t tell if he wanted my help or just a bit of comfort.

“Did you try asking the other guys to see if they had any ideas?”

“Yeah, but they’re working on their own parts, I can’t ask them to do this too.”

“I’m sure they’d be willing to help if you asked,” I assured him.

“I know they would, but I just don’t want to. I always ask them for help, I thought being away from the studio and being back home would help my brainstorming abilities.” He gave a weary chuckle that almost sounded like a groan.

“Well, maybe tomorrow will come with better results.” I did my best to give him some motivation, but I could tell I was failing miserably at that too.

Jake watched as a car zoomed past the window, a low bass sounding off as it zoomed away. “I bet it’s easier to just listen to music than to try and come up with it. I remember when I would just blare NCT all day long and jam out in my room. It seemed so much easier back then to come up with stuff than it does now. I miss it.” He took a slight pause before continuing. “ Did you know that song you read was the easiest thing I have written in my life? I remember writing too. I just had this super weird feeling in my chest one day so I basically locked myself in my room and took maybe two hours and just wrote a bunch of words down and connected them to sound like a song. For once my mind had just gone blank and I couldn’t stop thinking and feeling that song, like I knew what it was supposed to sound like, I knew what the lyrics were supposed to mean. I just knew everything. And I miss that feeling, that feeling of like- '' He broke off his sentence when he looked back up to my eyes. It seemed like he was talking more to himself than to me. He swallowed hard and looked back at the pencil still in hand.

“Well, I'm sorry you don’t feel free anymore. I wish there was something I could do to make you feel like that again-”

“No, please don’t feel like that. It’s just something that had just recently started happening, something I really just can’t fix…” His voice gets softer and softer the more he spoke.

“Have you spoken to your manager about it?” I asked. “He’s super nice from what I understand. And he’ll probably have better answers than your friend who can barely play the piano, let alone produce an entire song.”

Jake laughed before I had the chance to. “ See, now you're underestimating yourself. Remember that song from freshman year? The one about-- what was his name, Josh?” Jake teased. I grabbed a pillow and slammed it into the back of his head. “Oh my gosh, I thought we promised we’d never bring it up again!”

Jake chuckled and laid his arm on the couch completely turning towards me. “How about we sneak out and go get ice cream and try to not wake up your mom in the process?”

I suddenly jumped to my feet when I have the perfect idea on how to cheer up the gloomy Mr. Shim. “Or, we could do something even better!”

“Urgh!” Jake groaned.

I grabbed my phone and hooked it up to the speaker. I was going to turn on his hit song Drunk-Dazed as a joke, but Jake needed this break from his career, so instead, I crunk up Beyonce as loud as it could go without disturbing my mom who slept upstairs. I turn back to Jake and reach out for his hands, already moving my hips to the music.

He shook his head and threw it back onto the couch as if throwing a temper tantrum. “I literally dance for a living.”

“Okay but this will be different, I promise.” I grabbed the piles of papers on the ground and threw them in the trash, I then pushed the coffee table near the wall and piled his folders and books neatly on top.

“Come on, cowboy!” I grabbed his hands and helped him up. He was reluctant to get up, but he threw one last groan before standing on his feet.

“This will get the brain juices flowing again!” I told him. I go back to my phone and switch it to one of my favorite Beyonce songs that she covered, At Last.

I sang dramatically to get Jake to smile, and luckily, it worked. I placed both my hands over his shoulders and swayed us back and forth, still miming the song as overly exaggerated as I could. Jake still couldn’t help but smile, and it didn’t take him long to join me in the rhythm and sway naturally with me. I learned at our middle school dance that Jake had perfect rhythm. He was able to impress the rest of the crowd when he busted out moves from BTS. Everyone was impressed, including me.

Now we were on a steady roll. I accidentally stepped on his feet a few times, but it was fine seeing as I was wearing foam flip-flops and he was barefooted. After a while, the song switched and played another of my favorites that didn’t match our style of dance, but we still moved slowly to the beat. Jake tried twirling me, but since I have two left feet, I almost ended up hitting the wall each time and Jake laughed loud at my clumsiness. The moonlight from the kitchen had now switched to the window in the living room. It gleamed through and glistened on Jake like a spotlight, just like the ones on the stage did for him. In a split second, I was reminded that he wouldn’t be here forever, just like he wasn’t here for the past year. I tried to not let it settle on my face that I was scared to see him go again, so I played up on the fun we were having now. Jake looked like he was at ease; finally, since he’d been here, he looked genuinely happy and I wasn’t going to ruin that.

After another handful of songs full of laughs and giggles, we were soon sweating and taking deeper breaths than normal. Each song was different from the one before, but it didn’t stop us from sticking to our style of dance. Even with the simplicity of the moves and the slowness of the steps, I had to take a minute to relax. I hooked my arms around his neck and rested my entire body on his. I could feel Jake’s own sweat seeping through his shirt, But I didn’t mind the wetness that was now attached to my cheek. I thought he would act awkward and ask for me to pull away, but instead, he gripped tighter on my hips and started slowly moving me side to side. I let out a long overdue sigh, trying my best to match the steady breathing of Jake’s with my own. It was actually therapeutic: hearing his heartbeat in one ear and the softness of the music in the other.

I tried to continue our steady breathing together, but his had picked up a bit, almost out of nowhere. I felt the heat of his breath on the nape of my neck, and it made my entire body tingle in a way it never had before. After this sudden feeling, I realized just how close we really were. His leg hair tickled my legs, I could feel the bone of his foot connecting to mine, I could feel his thin waist against mine as well. I felt like I needed to back up, but instead, I couldn’t and continued to sway softly against him. A few seconds later, Jake’s hands rose a little higher, planting themselves on my waist and tightening their grip as if they were trying to pull me closer than we already were.

The sensation hadn’t stopped though, it clung to my body like my damp shorts did on my thighs. Sooner or later I felt pressure on the lower part of my stomach and thought for sure that Jake was messing around and wasn’t feeling what I was, which indicated that I needed to pull back before this feeling became too much.

This is so embarrassing. I thought. How could I let myself feel like this? How was this in any way okay? I finally pulled back, the sensation becoming too unbearable, and glanced up at his face. His pupils were large in a way I hadn’t seen before. His mouth was slightly open and a drop of sweat slowly traced down his forehead, onto his nose. That pressure I was feeling on my stomach had now doubled in force, and Jake's face had switched from calm and subtle, to alarmed and panicked...

————✧————

(part 2 possibly...?)

Thank you guys so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed it! Please, leave any constructive criticism you have on helping improve my writing!

————✧————

None of the images are mine, They all belong to their rightful owners :)

[the-storming-sea]

For prompts: Todoroki using every single Toshi-Izuku interaction to add to his "Izuku is All Might's secret love child' conspiracy board

Tfw its been like two to three days but Many Things have happened in that time. Oops

Uh, anyways–

"Dude. What. The. Fuck."

Sero, Kirishima, and Yaoyorozu stared, wide-eyed and nearly slack-jawed from the futon they currently sat at. Across from them, hanging off the wall was a large pinboard, polaroid pictures and newspapers articles with certain words and pictures circled in with bright red marker tacked onto different places, red string connecting each and every single one of those pictures together.

And in front of that pinboard stood Todoroki Shouto, one of the most powerful students at UA, son of the current Number One Hero, wide-eyed and wild-haired and probably, by definition, out of his fucking mind.

"Listen. I'm not crazy–"

"Literally everything that's happening now is providing evidence to the contrary."

"–but All Might is Midoriya's father."

"That's." Kirishima blinked, once, his brain attempting to process what his classmate was saying. "What?"

"All Might. Is. Midoriya's. Father," Todoroki said, slower, like he was trying to explain quantum physics to a toddler. Or to anyone.

"Todoroki, All Might's never been in a public relationship before," Yaoyorozu replied, slower. Of all of Todoroki's eccentricities, this had to be the weirdest one yet. "Not to mention, all of All Might's speculated relationships have been with men."

"Then at least one of his partners is trans, or he's trans!"

"They don't even look the same!"

"Then Midoriya gets his looks from his mother! They have the same quirk! They practically act the same!" Todoroki threw his hands up in exasperation, frost creeping on the side of his fingers. "I'm still right!"

"Bro, you've met Midoriya's mother."

"Artificial insemination! Adoption! Again, secret love child!"

Todoroki slapped his hand on the board, slightly burning the edges of one of the newspaper clippings. "Look, see here," he said, pointing to the clipping. Kirishima tentatively walked up, squinting at the headline. "Read this."

"'Mystery Samaritans Found Cleaning Up Takoba Beach.'" Kirishima frowned. "So?"

Sero's eyes brightened. "Oh, I remember that! I used to go to the beach all the time with my family," he said. "What's that gotta do with anything?"

"Look at this photo!"

Kirishima turned his eyes towards the photo, frowning. His eyes widened in shock.

"Holy shit, is that Midoriya?"

"Huh, so it is," Yaoyorozu said. "And...is that...?"

"YES!" Todoroki exclaimed, once again slapping his hand on the pinboard and startling his friends. "All Might, as he currently looks now, and Midoriya found at Takoba beach a full year before the school year starts. That means they knew each other before the school year started!"

"You repeated yourself."

"I know I know I know but why," Todoroki pressed, taking a deep breath, "why would All Might, in his weakened state before Kamino, be seen with Midoriya unless...unless that was his secret son."

He clapped his hands together just as he was finishing his point, clearly pleased by his argument. The three stared back at him, slightly alarmed.

"Or...maybe he just met him recently and they decided to clean the beach together," Yaoyorozu said tentatively. "It could happen."

"Or, or they decided to train for Midoriya's UA Exam together by lifting appliances at the beach! Or working out around the beach a year before!" he protested. "My father used to make me train by lifting up heavy objects ten times my size and pushing my quirk before the UA exam too!"

Sero frowned. "Todo, I know good parenting is a foreign concept to you, but comparing your relationship with your dad to Midoriya and All Might maybe isn't the best of ideas."

"I'm pretty sure Iida used to train with his hero brother in a very normal way," Todoroki nearly fucking pouted. The guy was really fired up– metaphorically and a little bit literally, judging by his floor. "But, but anyway, what I'm trying to say was that All Might, trying to make sure Midoriya would be strong enough for the entrance exam, made him clean up the beach because he was helping to train his son!"

Kirishima stared at him. "Bro."

"I'm right! Not to mention, why would he be in his thinner state around Midoriya if he wasn't his son?!"

"Maybe he told him about the weakened form back then by accident?" Sero said. "Todoroki, seriously. You're looking too deep into this."

"I agree," Yaoyorozu said. She loved her friend, truly, but as good as it was for Todoroki to exhibit any other emotion besides confusion and rage, this couldn't be healthy for him.

Todoroki groaned. "Okay, okay, fine. Exhibit B!" He pointed to a picture of All Might and Midoriya walking into All Might's office. "They eat lunch together! Who does that with a teacher?!"

Kirishima hummed. "Okay, I'll give you that one," he said, looking back at the others. "You gotta admit, that is a little suspicious."

"You forget, Midoriya broke his bones a lot at the beginning of the year just by activating his quirk," Yaoyorozu said, calmly. "As the Heroics teacher, All Might would want to make sure they can find a way for Midoriya to improve his quirk use without breaking his bones, so it would make sense for All Might to meet up with Midoriya out of class."

"But why continuously?!" Todoroki pressed. "Even after Midoriya got a handle of his quirk?!"

Yaoyorozu frowned. "Well, Bakugo meets with them now. Is Bakugo All Might's son too?"

"Details, details," Todoroki said with a wave of his hand. "Bakugo's practically Midoirya's boyfriend anyways. All Might probably wants to vet him or something."

"Somehow I believe that less than your 'All Might is Midoriya's dad' theory."

"They're going to get together, just you wait," Todoroki said. "Anyways, back to business. It's not just at school too! Even now that we're in the dorms, lately All Might will eat with Midoriya, alone, just the two of them!"

He pointed to another picture of Midoriya and All Might eating meat buns on a bench, no one else in sight, lightly chatting. "See! It would make sense if All Might ate with any one of us, or if there was a bigger crowd, but it's just those two! That's a normal parenting thing, right?"

"Dude how did you even get that picture."

"Irrelevant."

Yaoyorozu ran her eyes over the full board again, wincing internally. As...off-putting as her friend's efforts were, he did have a point. All Might's actions towards Midoriya were unprecedented of a teacher, Aizawa would certainly never be caught dead with any of them. And sure, they simply could be good friends who met a little before the Takoba news article picture, friends could be of all ages after all, but with the way All Might treated Midoriya daily, it was getting more and more likely that Todoroki's theory was correct. Which had some very interesting implications and also a media shitstorm on its way if it was true.

"And," Todoroki continued, now rambling as fast as Midoriya was, "did you know that All Might visited the Midoriya's to talk about the dorm system alone?"

Kirishima's mouth dropped. "Seriously?"

Todoroki nodded, eyes wide and a small smile on his face. "Aizawa-sensei told us himself back when he asked my father if I could stay in the dorms! My father asked where All Might was and Aizawa-sensei told him that they split up right before the Midoriya's!"

Sero's eyes widened. "Okay, I will admit that that's weird."

"I know right?!" Todoroki exclaimed, out of breath and restlessly pacing the floor. "Not only that, but All Might was one of the first people Midoriya texted right after he got his hero license. And Midoriya ended up interning with a hero who All Might knows directly and worked with Nighteye during his work-study who's All Might's only sidekick! And then Midoriya was invited personally to I-Island by All Might! And–"

Knock knock.

The group froze.

"Young Todoroki? Can I speak with you?"

Fuck.

Todoroki tentatively walked over to his door, opening it just enough to find All Might standing behind it, a worried expression on his face. "Are you all alright? The kids downstairs reported a lot of yelling, and I think you may have frozen and burnt through your floor?"

Todoroki looked back at his floor, which now looked slightly more like the training room back home than it did his dorm room. "Right. I can pay for that."

"No need my boy, just make sure it doesn't happen again or I think Aizawa'll have all of our heads," All Might chuckled. He then frowned, slightly opening the door more. "What on Earth is that?"

His eyes were pointed directly behind Todoroki, to the pinboard the high schooler had been deliriously gesturing towards for the past few minutes. Kirishima, Sero, and Yaoyorozu stared at each other awkwardly, shuffling their feet.

"Um...well, y'see–"

"All Might, is Midoriya your illegitimate child?"

The air paused. Everyone turned their eyes to the teen.

All Might blinked. "I'm sorry...what?"

WHAT THE FUCK, TODOROKI?!

"Todoroki, bro, you can't just ask shit like that!" Kirishima exclaimed, who now, like the many people around him, was going through all the stages of grief. "That's not one of those things you can just ask people!"

Todoroki tilted his head. "I asked Midoriya."

"YOU ASKED MIDORIYA?!"

"I–"

The kids now directed their attention back to All Might, who had managed to shake himself out of his stupor and somehow made his way to the pinboard. "I'm not...young Todoroki, believe me when I say I'm 100% sure I'm not Midoriya's biological father," he said, rapidly glancing back and forth from the board to Todoroki. "As...creepily impressive as this is," he continued, gesturing to the entirety of the board, "I've never had a child, and besides, young Midoriya's biological father works overseas, in America."

He pointed to the slightly burnt newspaper clipping of Takoba beach, looking back at Todoroki. "Is this about the Takoba beach cleaning?"

Todoroki nodded.

"Huh." All Might turned to the clipping, a strange, soft, thoughtful look on his face. "I didn't know they did a report about it." He turned back to Todoroki. "May I keep this?"

Todoroki nodded again, even slower, and a delighted smile appeared on All Might's face. The four students watched with wide eyes as he took the newspaper clipping in one hand and the pin in between his other fingers, gently lifting the pin from where it had been embedded in the pin board, lifting the newspaper clipping from its place, and placing the pin back where he had found it. Seconds passed. All Might rubbing his thumb over the picture in the newspaper with a soft chuckle. He then gently folded it, each crease careful not to tear the newspaper apart, before placing it in the pocket of his tracksuit.

Then, as if he remembered that there were other people in the room, he turned to Todoroki. "Ah, Aizawa-kun said that you had redecorated your room yourself, yes?"

Todoroki nodded, still stunned. "Perfect! The bots will be up here in a few minutes or so to repair your floor, and then refurbish your room any way you see fit." All Might clapped his hands together, a bright smile on his face. "Just try not to do it as much, alright? And please stop stalking young Midoriya and I. I don't know how many times I can catch you in the act before telling him that one of his best friend's have been stalking us to obtain proof of our non-existant biological relationship."

"You saw me?"

"Young Todoroki, I've been the number one hero for three and a half decades."

"Oh." Todoroki frowned. "Sorry."

"Just don't let it happen again, please." All Might took a heavy sigh before finally addressing the others in the room. "Young Kirishima, Yaoyorozu, and Sero, I'll be seeing you in class tomorrow. Plus Ultra!"

"See you!"

"See you tomorrow All Might!"

All Might left the room, closing the door behind him, leaving Todoroki, Kirishima, Sero, and Yaoyorozu in the room, waiting for the repair bots to arrive, silent and bewildered with what had just transpired in the past ten minutes. The four of them couldn't move, only the sound of breathing being proof that any of them were even alive. After what felt like several, long, painstaking seconds, Todoroki turned to his friends.

"Y'know, All Might worked in America for a while."

"FOR GOD'S SAKE, TODOROKI."

[extasiswings]

“I felt it shelter to speak to you.” for Buddie

This was...not supposed to be this long but all the recent promo content has been...inspiring. Anyway...on ao3 here.

The first attack happens on a Saturday afternoon.

There’s nothing special about the day, nothing strange. Christopher is at a friend’s birthday party, Buck is off somewhere with Taylor, and Eddie is grocery shopping before he’s meant to meet Ana for an early dinner.

His shoulder aches a little—that’s what he notices first—but that’s not too unusual. It happens sometimes. Even as physical therapy has helped him regain strength and mobility in his arm and shoulder, a high caliber sniper round ripping through his upper chest is no minor injury. Plus, while he’s hardly ancient, he’s not even as young as he was when he was shot the first time, and those bullets left behind their own patches of scar tissue and occasional twinges.

So. His shoulder aches. It’s fine. He ignores it and moves on. Goes through the store, checks out, put his bags in the backseat—

There’s a glare off a window in the apartment building across the street.

Eddie reaches for the handle of his door.

Suddenly, his fingers start tingling, uncomfortable pricks of icy numbness traveling up his hands like they’ve fallen asleep, but shaking them out doesn’t help. And then, without warning, pain lances through his chest, sharp and acute, and he can’t breathe properly, as if his torso has been trapped in a vise that’s slowly tightening more and more.

His vision swims. He sways on his feet, grasping at the door handle with clumsy, numb fingers to keep himself upright.

He feels like—he feels—

He feels like he’s dying. It strikes him with sudden clarity. He’s dying. Dying in a random parking lot—he always assumed he was too young to have a heart attack but the symptoms fit and he’s just—

He can’t. He can’t die. Not when he’s survived everything else. This can’t be—

“Sir?” There’s a woman with a station wagon parked in the space next to his truck and she’s looking at him with no small amount of concern. “Are you okay?”

Eddie’s mouth is so dry and his breathing so irregular that it takes him a moment to respond.

“I—I think I need to go to the hospital,” he grits out as another wave of dizziness threatens to send him to his knees.

She calls 911. Eddie spares a moment to be grateful that the paramedics who show up a few minutes later aren’t from the 118.

As it turns out, he’s not dying. And he didn’t have a heart attack.

“A panic attack?” Eddie’s voice is distant to his own ears as he stares at the ER doctor in disbelief, his stomach flipping with a new kind of dread. “Are you sure?”

“Your symptoms resolved on their own and your EKG is normal, Mr. Diaz,” she replies as she flicks through the screens of his chart on her tablet. “And nothing in your prior history or other recent tests indicates that there’s anything physically wrong with you—you were healthy before you were shot and your recovery has progressed smoothly up to this point.”

She pauses and looks back at him. “Have you...spoken to a therapist? I noticed that your treating physician made a referral for counseling when you were originally discharged, but…”

Eddie clears his throat roughly. “Yeah, no, I, uh...with the PT schedule and everything else going on, I never followed up with that. But I’ve been fine. It never seemed necessary.”

“With all due respect, Mr. Diaz,” the doctor says, “you’re in the emergency room because of an acute stress response in which your brain tricked your body into believing you were in danger to such an extent that you thought you were dying. I’m not sure you’re as fine as you think.”

There’s probably some truth to that. Eddie can admit that much. But that doesn’t mean he needs—he’s been shot before. He’s been in a warzone. He didn’t need therapy to move forward from it then and he shouldn’t now. He can—he can handle this. He can make himself get over it.

He’s already spent months leaning heavily on everyone around him. The thought of not being okay, of asking for more help when he’s finally easing back into working, when things are finally getting back to normal, when they all have their own issues to focus on—

God, it makes him want to throw up.

So...no. He’s okay. Because not being okay isn’t an option.

He’s fine. The panic attack was...a fluke.

“I appreciate the advice,” Eddie says finally. “I’ll think about it.”

He can tell the doctor doesn’t believe him when her lips thin.

“You know, more likely than not, the panic attacks will keep happening if you do nothing,” she points out. “Ignoring this won’t make it go away.”

“I understand,” Eddie replies. “If that’s all, does that mean I can get out of here?”

The doctor sighs. “Sure.”

Eddie’s phone rings while he’s in an Uber on the way back to his truck. It’s Ana.

He swears under his breath as he sees the time—he hadn’t called anyone, hadn’t wanted the hospital to call anyone either, but that means he’s now late for a date that he doesn’t really want to keep after everything and further doesn’t leave him with any good excuses for his absence except the truth which...he doesn’t really want to admit.

Before the shooting, Carla told him to make sure he was following his heart. And he’s been too exhausted and focused on his recovery to really think too hard about that. But now—

For a moment, Eddie considers it. Telling Ana the truth. Showing her some of the dark, messy, ugly pieces of himself. Being vulnerable.

The very idea makes him recoil. Not because he thinks she would run away necessarily, but because he just...can’t.

He can’t. Not with her.

And if he’s that uncomfortable with the idea of letting in someone he’s been dating for over half a year, if he can’t imagine himself ever actually being comfortable with that...then what the hell is he doing?

He calls her back when he gets to his truck.

“Hey—I’m so sorry, I had a little emergency—yeah, everything’s fine now, but I’m not sure I’m up for going out. Can I meet you at your place? ...okay, great. See you soon.”

He may know even less about ending a relationship than he does about dating in general, but he figures he at least owes it to her to end things in person.

*

Eddie goes to work on Monday feeling fine. Great, even. He sleeps well the night before, he gets Christopher off to school on time, traffic is light enough that he gets to the station early—

Everything is fine. By all accounts it should be a good day.

At least, that’s what he thinks right up until all of them get different emergency alerts sent to their phones and they find out the city’s systems have been hacked. From that point forward, everything is chaos. Damage control. Twenty-car pile-ups because stoplights are being messed with, an outbreak of animals from the zoo when the electric locks on their enclosures released—

Eddie’s fine though. He’s fine. It’s nothing he can’t handle—in fact, he’s usually great with chaos. He’s focused and sure and capable. Nothing else matters but the work, certainly not himself. When he’s busy, he has no time to think about anything else.

The gradually worsening tension in his shoulders can be ignored. The way he has to clench his hands into fists to keep them from shaking in a way he hasn’t had to do since his earliest days in Afghanistan can be brushed off. He doesn’t have time to think about anything but the jobs in front of him, which means he doesn’t have time to think about his own state.

Brush it off, pick yourself up, keep moving forward. That’s what he knows, that’s what he can do.

Except, then they end up at the hospital and—

A medevac helicopter falls off the roof. Bobby nearly joins it. Buck and Eddie barely manage to get him back.

A cold sweat breaks out on Eddie’s brow as Bobby leans heavily against the wall next to the roof access door to catch his breath. His stomach roils. He doesn’t feel fully connected to his own body, caught somehow between present and past, a rooftop in Los Angeles and a desert in Afghanistan.

He breathes in. He tamps down on the rising panic.

Bobby is fine. The helicopter pilots and their patient are fine.

He’s fine. He’s fine.

“Are you okay?”

Eddie jumps at the question, his head whipping around to find the source. Buck’s brow furrows as he holds up his hands.

“Sorry,” Buck says quietly. “Didn’t mean to startle you.”

Eddie swallows hard and shakes his head. “You’re fine, don’t worry about it.”

He glances toward the door. “You know, I think I’m going to head back down,” he says, hoping Buck won’t notice the fact that he hasn’t answered the original question. “I want to make sure the pilots are holding up alright.”

“I can come—” Buck starts to offer, only for Eddie to cut him off.

“Someone should stay with Bobby,” he replies. He forces a smile as Buck’s eyes search his face. “I’ll be fine.”

Buck glances at Bobby, then back to Eddie before he finally nods.

“Okay,” he says. “But here, take the radio. If anything happens—”

“I’ll let you know.”

Eddie makes it down one flight of stairs before he decides to take the elevator the rest of the way down. The numbers on the top of the doors tick down, down, down—

And then, abruptly, the elevator lurches to a halt, throwing Eddie off balance and into the wall as the lights go out, plunging him into total darkness.

His ears ring from the impact.

He’s trapped. Trapped in a metal box in the dark. A box that could easily become a coffin if the emergency stop failed and sent it careening down to crash at the bottom of the elevator shaft.

Eddie’s breathing speeds up against his will. His chest starts to hurt.

Not again, he thinks vaguely. Not here, not now, not again.

But. He can’t move. He can’t breathe. Some distant part of his mind recognizes that what he’s feeling isn’t real, that he just needs to calm down, but he can’t—

He’s going to die. He’s going to—

The radio crackles in his belt.

“Eddie? Eddie! Can you hear me?”

Eddie’s mind latches onto the sound of Buck’s voice like a lifeline in an ocean of distress. It takes him a moment to make his trembling hands work through their numbness, to remind his fingers how to work the buttons, but eventually, he lifts the radio to his mouth.

“I’m here,” he says. His voice shakes. “I’m in the elevator. It’s—I don’t know which floor. Or if I’m between floors. I don’t—”

He shudders. His eyes close, not that it really matters given how dark the space is already.

“It’s okay,” Buck replies. “It’s okay, Eddie, we’ll find you. We’ll get you out, don’t worry.”

“I don’t want to die here.” It slips out of him before he can pull it back. Buck takes a sharp breath on the other end of the line.

“That’s not going to happen,” Buck says firmly, although his own voice seems less steady than usual. “I would never let that happen. I’ve got your back, remember? Always.”

A shudder rips down Eddie’s spine and he slides against the wall to sit on the floor. The walls still feel too restricting, like they’re closing in on him more each moment that he looks away.

The radio crackles again.

“Eddie. What can I do? What do you need?” Buck asks.

I don’t know. I don’t—I can’t—

“Eddie.” The fear and desperation in Buck’s voice cuts through the fog in Eddie’s mind.

He never wants Buck to sound like that.

“Keep talking?” Eddie replies. “I—just keep talking to me. Please?”

Don’t go, is what he really means. Stay with me.

He’s never allowed himself to say those things though. Not during the early days of the pandemic when they were sharing a bed in Buck’s loft. Not after he moved back home with Christopher and the other side of his bed felt too empty for sleep to come easily. And certainly not after he started dating Ana.

During his recovery, he never had to ask Buck for anything really. Buck was always just...there. Even though he was with Taylor, he was still there with Eddie and with Christopher whenever Eddie needed him. Like he knew somehow. Or maybe as if he needed to be there as much as Eddie needed him there.

Eddie hasn’t looked too closely at any of that. He’s not ready to. It’s too much, too complicated, too—too—

Dangerous.

“What do you want to talk about?”

Eddie swallows hard as his head rests against the wall. As he allows the sound of Buck’s voice to wrap around him like armor. Like home. Insulating him against the panic and isolation.

“Anything,” he says quietly. “Just keep talking.”

And Buck does. He talks about everything and nothing, random facts and stories from his past that Eddie hasn’t heard before, he talks and talks and talks until his voice grows hoarse in Eddie’s ear and the pressure on Eddie’s lungs eases.

Eddie exhales shakily and takes a few deep breaths as he continues to listen, as his body shifts from hyper-awareness and panic to wrung out exhaustion. When Buck finally cuts off, it’s because there’s an ugly screech of metal as the elevator doors are pried open, as light filters back in.

Eddie’s legs are unsteady as he gets to his feet. He trips on the edge of the elevator door when he exits—

Buck catches him before he can fall. Because of course he does.

“Thank you,” Eddie breathes into Buck’s shoulder as he finds his balance.

Buck shakes his head. “I promised we’d get you out, didn’t I? Besides, I—I shouldn’t have let you go alone.”

“I decided—”

“I shouldn’t have let you,” Buck repeats, low but insistent. His eyes meet Eddie’s and Eddie swallows hard.

“You weren’t okay. Were you?” Buck asks. And Eddie—

He wants to lie. Part of him does at least.

But he can’t lie to Buck.

Not to Buck.

“No,” he confesses. It’s half a whisper. “No, I wasn’t.”

Buck bites his lip and nods once.

“Okay,” he says. “We’ll figure it out.”

And somehow, Eddie believes him.